India’s talismanic batsman, Virat Kohli, produced another masterclass under pressure, leading his side to the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final by hitting a match-winning innings against Australia. The high-pressure semi-final on March 4 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium witnessed Kohli yet again proving why he is considered among the best of his generation.
Pursuing a competitive score, Kohli featured in a valuable innings of 84 from 98 balls, scoring at a rate of more than 85 and stabilising India’s chase with his characteristic calmness. His five-boundary innings were a fine combination of aggressive shots and determination. This was his second fifty-plus effort in the tournament, having already scored a century against Pakistan in the group stage.
His performance not only ensured India’s qualification to the final but also pushed him to No.4 in the ICC ODI rankings. While Virat Kohli rose in the rankings, Indian vice-captain Shubman Gill retained his position at the top, displaying his consistency in the format. Skipper Rohit Sharma, however, who scored 28 runs in the semi-final, fell two places from third to fifth.
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Other leading performers in the tournament also recorded major movements in the latest ICC rankings. Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai, who scored 126 runs, climbed a huge 12 places to reach the 24th rank. His colleague Ibrahim Zadran’s astonishing 177-run innings propelled him 13 positions into the top 10 to reach 10th with 676 rating points.
Virat Rises to No.4 in odi rankings
Rohits slips 2 positions
Gill remains as no.1 odi batter pic.twitter.com/XEn7UOiN93— cricmawa (@cricmawa) March 5, 2025
Australia’s Steve Smith, who retired from ODIs post the semi-final, moved up six places to 16th. In the ICC ODI bowler rankings, New Zealand’s Matt Henry rose to third on 649 points behind only Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana and South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj. India’s pace ace Mohammed Shami kept moving up, jumping three positions to 11th following his great performances in the tournament.
South Africa’s Marco Jansen (nine positions to 18th) and England’s Jofra Archer (13 positions to equal-19th) also improved significantly. Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai’s all-round brilliance saw him become the new No.1 ranked all-rounder in ODIs.
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His match-winning contributions, including a five-wicket haul against England and a vital fifty against Australia, cemented his place at the top. India’s Axar Patel also saw a remarkable rise, climbing 17 places to 13th with a career-best 194 rating points, further strengthening India’s squad ahead of the much-anticipated final.
