Afghanistan Rise to Sixth in ICC ODI Rankings, Surpass Sri Lanka to Achieve Historic Milestone

Dubai, Nov 2: Afghanistan cricket team continued their remarkable rise in international cricket, climbing to sixth place in the latest ICC Men's ODI Team Rankings to secure their highest-ever position in the format. The Afghans have moved ahead of former world champions Sri Lanka, underlining their growing stature in one-day cricket.

Afghanistan's rise is particularly significant considering their relatively short history in international cricket. Since making their ODI debut in 2009, they have steadily established themselves as a competitive force, producing several memorable performances against established teams. Their latest achievement is another milestone in a journey that has seen them make rapid progress across formats.

According to the latest rankings, Afghanistan have a rating of 94 points from 31 matches, placing them sixth in the standings. Sri Lanka - who lost the ODI tri-series final against Pakistan last week in the latter's backyard - are seventh with the same displayed rating of 94, having played 44 matches. Afghanistan's higher position reflects the underlying rating calculations, which are shown as rounded figures in the table.

Afghanistan's remarkable rise in ODI cricket

Afghanistan's progress in the 50-over format has been built on consistent performances and their ability to challenge some of the strongest teams in world cricket. They have won 96 of their 191 ODI matches, maintaining an impressive win-loss ratio of 1.09.

One of the defining moments in their rise came during the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in India, where Afghanistan recorded historic victories over Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Those results demonstrated that the team could compete with and defeat established cricketing nations on the biggest stage.

Their progress has not been restricted to the ODI format. Afghanistan reached the semi-finals of the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup for the first time, another landmark achievement that highlighted their growing competitiveness in international cricket.

Recent results have further strengthened their position. Afghanistan registered a 4-0 series victory over Ireland away from home and remained unbeaten in the recently concluded tri-series involving Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. They also completed a clean sweep of Zimbabwe in the T20I format, adding to an impressive run across formats.

The team will now turn its attention to a two-match Test series against Zimbabwe as they look to carry their momentum into the longest format.

ICC Men's ODI Team Rankings: Top 10 teams

India continue to lead the ICC Men's ODI Team Rankings, with New Zealand occupying second place. South Africa and Pakistan are level on a displayed rating of 104, while Australia complete the top five.

Afghanistan's arrival at sixth place is the biggest talking point in the latest standings, with Sri Lanka slipping to seventh. England, Bangladesh and West Indies round off the top 10.

The latest top 10 standings are:

1. India - 115 rating points (36 matches)
2. New Zealand - 109 (35 matches)
3. South Africa - 104 (34 matches)
4. Pakistan - 104 (37 matches)
5. Australia - 102 (35 matches)
6. Afghanistan - 94 (31 matches)
7. Sri Lanka - 94 (44 matches)
8. England - 93 (38 matches)
9. Bangladesh - 81 (41 matches)
10. West Indies - 79 (37 matches)

India's position at the top reflects their consistency in the format, while New Zealand remain firmly in second place. South Africa and Pakistan are closely placed in third and fourth, respectively, with Australia completing the leading five.

For Afghanistan, however, the achievement of breaking into the top six is a landmark moment. Having already established themselves as a dangerous opponent in global tournaments, they have now translated that progress into a historic position in the ODI rankings. Their rise above Sri Lanka is further evidence of how far Afghan cricket has come since its entry into international one-day cricket in 2009.