Shubman Gill Closes In On No. 1 ODI Ranking After England Heroics

By Shivam Kumar | Senior Sports Reporter

India captain Shubman Gill has moved within 11 rating points of becoming the world's No. 1 ODI batter after climbing in the latest ICC Men's ODI Rankings released on Wednesday. Gill's match-winning 80 against England in the opening ODI at Edgbaston earned him a 12-point ratings boost, leaving New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell narrowly ahead at the top of the standings.

The rankings update follows India's six-wicket victory over England in Birmingham, where Gill laid the platform for a successful chase before retiring hurt on 80 from 75 deliveries. His innings featured 11 fours and one six and helped India begin the three-match ODI series with a win after a difficult white-ball stretch that included a T20I series defeat in England and a historic T20I loss in Ireland.

Gill's latest rise reflects both his consistency in the 50-over format and the importance of his innings under pressure. Returning to India's ODI side alongside senior players Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah, the captain combined fluent stroke play with controlled aggression before being forced to retire hurt during the chase.

The ICC update leaves Gill only 11 rating points behind Daryl Mitchell, who retained the No. 1 position after scoring 93 runs across the opening two ODIs of New Zealand's ongoing series against the West Indies. With two matches still remaining in Cardiff and London, Gill now has a realistic opportunity to overtake Mitchell if he continues his current form.

The latest rankings also underline Gill's growing stature in ODI cricket. Since becoming one of India's most reliable top-order batters, he has regularly featured among the world's highest-rated players, and this latest update places him within touching distance of the summit for the first time.

Gill was not the only Indian player rewarded by the ICC's weekly rankings update. Jasprit Bumrah marked his return to ODI cricket after an absence of 968 days by claiming 1 for 31 at Edgbaston, a performance that lifted him to 24th in the ICC ODI Bowling Rankings.

Axar Patel enjoyed perhaps the biggest all-round improvement following his Player of the Match display. After taking 4 for 62 with the ball, the left-arm spinner returned to score an unbeaten 57 as India recovered after Gill's retirement hurt. His performances resulted in movement across all three major rankings.

Axar climbed 18 places to 73rd among ODI batters, improved two places to 42nd in the bowling rankings and entered the ICC Men's ODI All-Rounder Rankings' top ten in ninth position.

Washington Sundar also enjoyed a productive week after his unbeaten 52 guided India home alongside Axar. The all-rounder rose 24 places to 177th in the batting rankings and improved 16 spots to 55th among ODI all-rounders.

Those gains reflected India's strong collective performance rather than the contribution of one individual alone. While Gill's innings shaped the chase, Axar and Sundar ensured there were no late setbacks after England briefly threatened to make a contest of the target.

England's defeat did not prevent several players from climbing the rankings.

Joe Root's composed 76 from 76 deliveries earned him a rise to joint 12th in the ICC ODI batting rankings, while Liam Dawson's resilient 68 resulted in one of the week's biggest jumps as he climbed 81 places to 262nd.

The rankings update therefore reflected performances rather than match results alone. Players from both sides benefited after producing noteworthy individual displays in Birmingham, even though India secured the series lead.

The latest ICC release also recognised performances from other international series. New Zealand fast bowler Jayden Lennox reached a career-best ranking after his five-wicket haul against the West Indies, while Alzarri Joseph, Shai Hope and Keacy Carty all improved their positions following strong outings in the Caribbean.

Zimbabwe's successful ODI series against Bangladesh also influenced the standings, with Ben Curran and Player of the Series Brad Evans making sizeable gains across batting, bowling and all-rounder rankings.

For Gill, however, the immediate focus will be the second ODI in Cardiff rather than the rankings table.

India already lead the three-match series 1-0 and another substantial contribution from their captain could not only strengthen their position against England but also propel him to the top of the ICC ODI batting rankings, depending on Daryl Mitchell's performances for New Zealand.

The next ICC rankings update will therefore be watched closely, with Gill now firmly established as Mitchell's closest challenger in ODI cricket. Regardless of the rankings battle, India's priority remains sealing the series when the teams meet again in Cardiff on Thursday.