Babar Azam regains top spot in ICC ODI Batters Rankings, replacing Shubman Gill

In a recent development, Star Pakistani batter, Babar Azam, has once again ascended to the pinnacle of the ICC ODI batters rankings, displacing Shubman Gill, who now occupies the second position. This shift occurred following Gill's absence from the ongoing ODI series against South Africa. Babar currently commands the top spot with an impressive 824 rating points, while Gill trails closely behind at second place with 810 points.

Positions three, four, and five in the ICC ODI rankings are held by Virat Kohli (775 ratings), Rohit Sharma (754 ratings), and David Warner (745 points). Virat and Rohit recently took a break from white-ball cricket and are set to return for the upcoming Test series against South Africa. Meanwhile, Warner, currently playing Test series for Australia against Pakistan, plans to retire from Test cricket after this series. Warner's standout performance, including a century in the first match, contributed to Australia's commanding victory over Pakistan.

Regarding Test cricket, Babar’s sub-par performance in the first Test against Australia, which Pakistan lost by 360 runs, saw him dropping one place from fourth to fifth (801 rating points). His contributions in the Perth Test included scoring 21 runs in the first and 14 runs in the second innings. Babar had stepped down as captain following a disappointing ICC World Cup campaign, marked by four consecutive defeats. 

Meanwhile, English spinner Adil Rashid has moved up to occupy the ace position in the T20I Bowler's Rankings after a great show in the ongoing five-match series against West Indies. Rashid has grabbed five wickets in three games played in the last week to gain the top spot. After winning the fourth T20I against West Indies by a massive margin of 75 runs, the series stands levelled at 2-2 with one match to go. 

Tabraiz Shami and Kuldeep Yadav have also moved up in the same Rankings.