HARARE — Zimbabwe’s veteran star Sikandar Raza has climbed to the top of the ICC Men’s ODI All-Rounder Rankings for the first time in his career, following a standout performance in the two-match home series against Sri Lanka.
The 39-year-old all-rounder delivered with the bat and ball, scoring 92 and 59 not out across the two ODIs and taking one wicket to move past Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi, now ranked second and third respectively.
This marks the first time Raza has held the No. 1 all-rounder spot in ODIs, with his previous best being second position, achieved in December 2023.
Raza makes gains across multiple ICC rankings
In addition to his rise to No. 1 as an all-rounder, Raza also moved up the ODI batting rankings by nine places to 22nd, just shy of his career-best 24th. He also climbed one spot to 38th in the ODI bowling rankings.
“Raza’s consistency with the bat and his ability to contribute with the ball has cemented his place as one of the game’s top all-rounders,” an ICC analyst noted following the ranking update.
Sri Lankan players make notable strides
Pathum Nissanka, who topped the run charts with 198 runs and was named Player of the Series, jumped seven places to reach a career-high 13th in the ODI batting rankings.
Other major moves in the rankings include:
- Janith Liyanage (Sri Lanka) – up 13 places to 29th
- Sean Williams (Zimbabwe) – up three places to 47th
Movement in ICC ODI bowling rankings
South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj has claimed the No. 1 spot in the ODI bowling rankings, overtaking Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana. Maharaj’s 4 for 22 against England in Leeds proved decisive.
Other ODI bowling risers include:
- Jofra Archer – up six places to 19th
- Lungi Ngidi – up five places to joint-23rd
- Asitha Fernando – up six places to 31st
- Dilshan Madushanka – up from 60th to 52nd after his hat-trick in Harare
Afghanistan batters surge in T20I rankings
Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal made major moves in the T20I batting rankings after impressive knocks against Pakistan in the Sharjah tri-series.
- Zadran – up 12 places to 20th
- Atal – surged 346 places to 127th
Pakistan players also on the rise
Several Pakistani players advanced in the rankings following their tri-series matches:
- Hasan Nawaz – up two places to joint-31st in T20I batting
- Sufiyan Muqeem – up 11 places to 22nd in T20I bowling
- Shaheen Afridi – up eight places to 26th
- Mohammad Nawaz – up 15 places to 43rd
Mohammad Nabi regains ground in T20Is
While Raza’s rise pushed Mohammad Nabi to third in the ODI all-rounder rankings, the Afghan veteran moved up to second in the T20I all-rounder list, continuing his multi-format consistency.
With his new No. 1 ODI all-rounder ranking, Sikandar Raza becomes the first Zimbabwean since the peak of players like Heath Streak and Andy Flower to top a major ICC performance chart, further cementing his legacy as one of Zimbabwe’s greatest cricketers.
