Babar Azam's Throne in Danger as Rohit Sharma moves to No. 2 in ODI Rankings

Rohit Sharma made history when he took India to their second T20 World Cup title in 2024 a few months back. The Indian captain was the second-highest scorer in the tournament. He took that form into the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka and ended with most runs.

Though India lost the series 2-0, Rohit Sharma got the benefit of his remarkable performance. The Indian captain has been at his best since 2023 and has applied the aggressive approach at the top, irrespective of the format.

It has benefited him and the team, and now it has helped Rohit Sharma climb to No. 2 in the ODI rankings. He is now the highest ranked Indian batter in ODIs and Tests both.

Rohit Sharma moved to No. 2 in the batsmen rankings in ODIs

The latest rankings by the ICC confirmed Rohit Sharma has replaced Shubman Gill from No. 2 position after his brilliant show in the Sri Lanka ODIs. Rohit scored 157 runs in three innings at an average of 52.53 and a strike rate of 141.44, with two half-centuries. He ended the series with most runs where other batters were struggling to score.

That performance has helped him in the ODI rankings. Rohit is only behind Babar Azam, who is at the top of the rankings. Babar has 824 rating points, while Rohit has 765. Virat Kohli is in fourth place. The Indian captain had a brilliant chance to top the ODI rankings, which he has never done.

But unfortunately, India don't have an ODI series before February, when they will play a three-match ODI series against England at home ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan. Meanwhile, Pakistan have a few international ODI assignments, and Babar can strengthen his position at the top.

In team's rankings, India are at the top of the table in ODIs and T20Is, while Rohit Sharma and his men are second in Tests. In ODI bowlers ranking, Kuldeep Yadav is the highest-ranked Indian ODI bowler at fourth place, while Jasprit Bumrah is at 8th place. Mohammed Siraj had a poor series against Sri Lanka and he has been dropped five spots to tenth.

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