Rashid Khan Returns to No.1 in ODI Rankings; Kuldeep Yadav Climbs in Test Charts

Rashid Khan Returns to No.1 in ODI Rankings; Kuldeep Yadav Climbs in Test Charts

Afghanistan’s legspinner Rashid Khan has reclaimed the No.1 spot in the ICC ODI bowling rankings following a stellar performance against Bangladesh in a recently concluded three-match series in Abu Dhabi.

Rashid, who was last ranked No.1 in November 2024, took 11 wickets across the series at an astonishing average of 6.09 and an economy rate of just 2.73. His efforts were instrumental in Afghanistan completing a dominant 3-0 sweep over Bangladesh. The 27-year-old now tops the bowling rankings with 710 points, 30 ahead of South Africa's Keshav Maharaj.

Joining Rashid in the spotlight is teammate Ibrahim Zadran, who emerged as the Player of the Series for his 213 runs in three innings at an average of 71. The opener has surged eight places to No.2 in the ICC ODI batting rankings — the highest-ever position achieved by an Afghanistan batter. He trails India’s Shubman Gill by just 20 points and sits eight ahead of veteran Rohit Sharma, currently in third.

Afghanistan’s allrounder Azmatullah Omarzai also made significant strides, reclaiming the top spot in the ODI allrounder rankings from Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza. Omarzai picked up seven wickets — the second-most in the series — and contributed 60 runs with the bat, reinforcing his value as a key asset for Afghanistan. He had previously held the No.1 position from February to August 2025.

In the Test arena, India’s Kuldeep Yadav has achieved a personal milestone, reaching a career-best No.14 in the ICC Test bowling rankings. The left-arm wristspinner took 12 wickets at an average of 19.50 in the two-match home series against West Indies, finishing as the top wicket-taker. Meanwhile, opener Yashasvi Jaiswal continued his rise, moving from No.7 to No.5 in the Test batting rankings after scoring 175 in the first innings of the Delhi Test.

The latest rankings reflect a strong showing from both Afghanistan and India across formats, with emerging players continuing to break new ground on the international stage.