Rizwan Rises in ICC ODI Rankings Despite Loss

Skipper climbs two places to 21 as stand-in Kiwi captain rises to 5th spot in all-rounder rankings

By DTD- On Apr 9, 2025

ISLAMABAD: In the recently concluded ODI series against New Zealand, which Pakistan lost 3-0, Pakistani captain and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan continued to rise in the ICC Men’s ODI Batting Rankings. Despite the series defeat, Rizwan climbed two spots to 21st with 606 points.

Fakhar Zaman, who was out of the squad for the series, dropped two places and is now ranked 23rd, while Imam-ul-Haq maintained his position at 34th. The rising star, Saim Ayub, also dropped two spots, now sitting at 38th, while vice-captain Salman Ali Agha moved up one place to 40th.

In the ODI batting rankings, India’s Shubman Gill continues to lead as the number one ODI batter, followed by Pakistan’s Babar Azam in second, and India’s Rohit Sharma in third.

In the ODI bowling rankings, left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi dropped one spot to 12th, with 601 points, while Haris Rauf slipped two places to 24th. On a positive note, right-arm pacer Naseem Shah made a significant leap, moving up five spots to 43rd with 494 points. Mohammad Wasim Jr., who made his return to the squad, dropped six places to 68th.

In the ICC Men’s ODI All-Rounder Rankings, New Zealand’s stand-in captain Michael Bracewell enjoyed a significant rise. Bracewell, who scored 85 runs and took two wickets in the series, moved up two spots to 5th, overtaking Mitchell Santner to become the highest-ranked Kiwi all-rounder.

Bracewell’s explosive performance, including a blistering 59 runs off 40 balls in the final ODI, helped New Zealand reach 264/8, ultimately sealing a 43-run win and completing a 3-0 series sweep. His efforts also saw him jump 12 places in the ODI batter rankings to 89th while retaining his 18th position in the bowler rankings.

Ben Sears was the standout performer of the series, taking five wickets in the third ODI and finishing with 10 wickets across the series. His remarkable performance earned him the Player of the Series award and propelled him 64 places up in the Bowling Rankings.