Babar Azam's second spot in ICC ODI rankings under threat

DUBAI: Indian captain Rohit Sharma is just a few rating points away from dethroning Pakistan's star batter Babar Azam to claim the second spot in the ICC ODI batters' rankings.

Rohit jumped two places to third in the latest rankings following his exceptional performance in the Champions Trophy final against New Zealand, where he was named Player of the Match.

The Indian skipper smashed 76 off 83 deliveries to set up India's victory. His teammate Virat Kohli also climbed the rankings, securing the fifth spot after amassing 218 runs during the tournament.

New Zealand batters also made significant gains. Daryl Mitchell moved up one place to sixth, Rachin Ravindra jumped 14 spots to 14th and Glenn Phillips climbed six places to 24th in the latest ODI rankings.

Meanwhile, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner emerged as the biggest improver in the updated list for ODI bowlers.

Star opener Shubman Gill retained his position at the top of the ODI batters' rankings after his stellar Champions Trophy campaign, while Babar Azam continues to hold onto second place.

Among other Pakistan batters, Fakhar Zaman and captain Mohammad Rizwan maintained their 19th and 21st spots, respectively. Imam-ul-Haq dropped one place to 31st, while Saim Ayub moved up to 36th.

In the bowlers' rankings, Santner’s impressive performance, which included nine wickets in the tournament and two in the final, propelled him six spots to second place.

Sri Lankan spinner Maheesh Theekshana remains the top-ranked ODI bowler. New Zealand's Michael Bracewell also made significant progress, rising 10 places to 18th.

Indian spinners made notable strides as well. Left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav climbed three spots to third after taking seven wickets in the tournament, while Ravindra Jadeja also moved up three places to 10th following his five-wicket haul during India’s unbeaten run.

Among Pakistan’s bowlers, left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi maintained his ninth spot, while Haris Rauf slipped one place to 25th and Naseem Shah currently sits at 43rd.

Afghanistan's Azmatullah Omarzai continues to lead the ODI all-rounders' rankings. However, New Zealand players have made strides in this category as well.

Santner moved up to fourth overall, Bracewell gained seven spots to reach seventh and Ravindra climbed eight places to eighth following their standout performances in the the recently concluded tournament.