India’s Shubman Gill has joined the elite cricket stars in the top International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s ODI Batting Rankings.
Gill joined the glorious list of Indian superstars as he became only the 4th batter from the country to top the batting charts in the ICC ODI Rankings. Gill replaced Pakistani captain, Babar Azam as the No. 1 batter in the 50-over format of the game in the latest rankings, updated on Wednesday, November 8.
Indiantoday reports that MS Dhoni first became the No. 1 batter in 2006 when he broke Ricky Ponting’s record for the fastest batter to achieve the top spot in just 38 innings into his ODI career. Dhoni was last ranked No. 1 in 2010 but he stayed in the top 10 for quite some time before slipping out in the latter stages of his decorated career. Sachin Tendulkar became No. 1 for the first time in 1996 and was last at the top spot in 2008 while Virat Kohli first became No. 1 in 2013 and he held the top spot for a 4-year period between 2017 and 2021.
Shubman Gill has been in sensational form in 2023 in ODI cricket. With 1449 runs in 26 matches, including 5 hundreds which also involves a double hundred earlier in the year, Gill is well ahead of his nearest-rival Virat Kohli, who has 1155 runs in 24 matches.
Shubman Gill became the second-fastest Indian batter to reach the No.1 ranking in just 41 innings. He has amassed an impressive 1917 runs in 35 matches, boasting an average of 66.1 and a strike rate of 102.84. His performance in 2023 has been particularly noteworthy, with him scoring 1449 runs at an average of 63 and a strike rate of 103.72.
The World Cup 2023 further showcased Gill’s exceptional talent. His electrifying performance against Sri Lanka, where he scored a brilliant 92, helped him accumulate 219 runs in six innings.
Despite health issues that saw him battling dengue, Gill’s resilience and determination saw him recover in time to participate in crucial matches, including the all-important clash against Pakistan.
Gill will be hoping to step up and deliver big in the upcoming matches, especially in the business end of the World Cup.