Keshav Maharaj Reclaims No. 1 ODI Bowler Ranking After Five-Wicket Haul Against Australia

Keshav Maharaj Reclaims No. 1 ODI Bowler Ranking After Five-Wicket Haul Against Australia

South Africa’s left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj has reclaimed the top spot in the ICC Men’s ODI Bowling Rankings following a match-winning performance in the first ODI against Australia in Cairns on August 19. Maharaj, who last held the No. 1 position in November 2023, surged two places to displace Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana, now ranked second, with India’s Kuldeep Yadav in third.

The 35-year-old spinner delivered a career-best ODI performance, taking 5 for 33, which dismantled Australia’s batting line-up and handed South Africa a comprehensive 98-run victory, giving them a 1-0 lead in the series.

Batting Rankings Also See Movement

Among South African batters, there were notable gains following their performances in the first ODI:

  • Aiden Markram rose four spots to No. 21 after a composed half-century.

  • Temba Bavuma moved up five places to No. 23 following his own half-century in the match.

West Indies Stars Rise After Pakistan Series

Following the recently concluded ODI series between West Indies and Pakistan, several West Indies players made significant strides in the rankings:

  • Captain Shai Hope climbed two spots to No. 9 in the ODI batting rankings after finishing as the leading run-scorer of the series with 207 runs, playing a pivotal role in his team’s 2-1 series win.

  • Fast bowler Jayden Seales surged 15 places to No. 18 in the ODI bowling rankings, thanks to a stellar performance that saw him claim 10 wickets in the series.

T20I Rankings: Ellis and Brevis Shine

Following the T20I series between South Africa and Australia, several players made gains in the T20I rankings:

  • Nathan Ellis, who picked up 3 for 31 in the third T20I, broke into the top 10 for bowlers, climbing three spots to No. 9. His performance helped Australia clinch the series 2-1.

  • Josh Hazlewood, Australia’s leading wicket-taker in the T20I series, moved up two positions to No. 18.

In the batting department, South Africa’s Dewald Brevis made a major leap. The explosive batter climbed nine places to joint 12th after a dominant series that included an unbeaten 125 off 56 balls in the first T20I and a follow-up 53 off 26 in the second match