3 All-rounders who can dethrone Rashid Khan from top of the ICC ODI rankings

Relentless attitude, the appetite to scale bigger altitudes, sheer hard work and undeterred focus – the qualities that have placed Rashid Khan above everyone at the age of just 20. Coming from a war-stricken Afghanistan, Rashid’s success story has been nothing short of a fairytale. He is one of the busiest cricketers around at the moment and is also the No.1 ICC ODI all-rounder.

While he is usually brilliant with the leg-spinners and the googlies, Khan is also capable of hitting the ball into the orbits. In fact, he loves batting so much that he promoted himself as an opener when he was made the captain in the World Cup 2019 Qualifiers last year. In 51 ODIs, he scored 676 runs at an average of 22 and strike rate of 101. However, his No.1 spot isn’t completely safe and he could be dethroned soon if he doesn’t fare well with the bat.

Here are three players who are capable of dethroning Rashid Khan:

Shakib Al Hasan

Shakib Al Hasan stands among one of the best all-rounders the game has ever witnessed. The Jessore-born is equally capable both with the bat as well as with the ball in hand and often works wonders for his team. The Southpaw is a vital cog in the Bangladesh team and is a very consistent performer.

He held the top position in the all-rounder before Rashid Khan overtook him. However, the 31-year-old Bangladesh cricket is not far behind. Rashid and Shakib are differentiated by just one point and it could be a matter of time before the latter reclaims the top position.

Mitchell Santner

Mitchell Santner is always believed to be the true successor for Daniel Vettori. He is highly clinical with the ball and bowls economical spells. Furthermore, he is more than capable with the willow as well and has got two Test fifties and two ODI fifties to his name. Coming down the order, he can add some vital runs to the teams total and has the ability to clear the fence at ease.

He has represented the Kiwis in 56 ODI games thus far in his career. He scored 788 runs and picked up 60 wickets. Santner was out of action for about nine months last year due to an injury. This, upto a certain extent, had an impact on his ranking. He currently stands fifth on the list and is capable of moving up the ladder in quick time.

Mohammad Nabi

Rashid Khan has got some severe competition from his teammate Mohammad Nabi. Nabi has featured in all the ODI games that Afghanistan played thus far. In a total of 106 matches, Nabi scored 2,449 runs at an average of over 28. The all-rounder has got 12 half-centuries to his name till date. Also, the 34-year-old can tonk the ball into the stands with ease and has hit 82 sixes in his career thus far.

Moreover, he also picked up 114 wickets and is highly economical with the leather in hand. With 337 rating points, Nabi stands third on the list at the moment and the second spot is the best he has achieved till now. He will sure set his eyes on the No.1 rank and look to dethrone his mate.

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