Sikandar Raza Rises to World No. 1 in ICC ODI All-Rounder Rankings

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Zimbabwe's talisman Sikandar Raza has etched his name in history by climbing to the top of the ICC Men's ODI All-Rounder Rankings for the first time in his career. The 39-year-old, who has been the backbone of Zimbabwe's middle order and a reliable off-spinner, achieved the milestone after an excellent showing in the recent two-match series against Sri Lanka in Harare.

Raza's consistency with the bat was the highlight, as he struck 92 in the first ODI before following it up with an unbeaten 59 in the second. He also chipped in with a wicket, enough to push him ahead of Afghanistan's Azmatullah Omarzai and veteran Mohammad Nabi, who now occupy second and third place respectively. His previous career-best was No. 2 in December 2023.

The veteran's batting returns of 151 runs in the series also boosted his batting credentials, taking him up nine spots to 22nd-just two short of his career-high 24th reached last year. On the bowling charts, he climbed to 38th, underlining his dual impact on the game.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's Pathum Nissanka, who dominated the series with 198 runs to earn Player of the Series honours, has surged to 13th place in the batting rankings. Teammate Janith Liyanage jumped 13 places to 29th, while Zimbabwe's Sean Williams moved up three spots to 47th. Elsewhere, Scotland's George Munsey rose to 34th after a match-winning 84* against Canada, and South Africa's Tony de Zorzi edged up to 64th.

The bowling charts also saw a reshuffle. South Africa's Keshav Maharaj displaced Sri Lanka's Maheesh Theekshana to secure the No. 1 ODI bowler spot following a brilliant 4/22 against England in Leeds. Teammates Jofra Archer (up to 19th) and Lungi Ngidi (up to joint-23rd) also made gains, while Sri Lanka's Dilshan Madushanka climbed to 52nd courtesy of his hat-trick in Harare.

In T20Is, Afghanistan duo Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal made big strides after fifties against Pakistan. Zadran moved up to 20th, while Atal skyrocketed 346 places to 127th. For Pakistan, Hasan Nawaz in batting and bowlers Sufiyan Muqeem, Shaheen Afridi, and Mohammad Nawaz all improved their positions. Interestingly, while Nabi slipped to third among ODI all-rounders, he climbed to second in the T20I list.