Babar Azam’s No. 1 ODI ranking in danger, star India batter in touching distance ahead of World Cup 2023

Pakistan captain Babar Azam’s No. 1 position in the Men’s ODI rankings is under severe pressure as India opener Shubman Gill continues to make giant strides with his scintillating performances. Gill has been in tremendous form in the 50-over format so far this year, and as a result, he is rapidly climbing the charts. In the latest update, the 24-year-old is within touching distance of dethroning Babar to become the world’s best ODI batter.

Gill has played 20 matches for India in 2023 and has scored 1230 runs at an amazing average of 72. The right-hander has amassed five centuries and as many as half-centuries, with the highest score being 208 – the joint-ninth highest individual score in a Men’s ODI. After a successful Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 campaign in which he finished as the leading run-scorer, Gill failed to shine on the West Indies tour.

However, he regained his rhythm in the recently concluded Asia Cup 2023 – finishing as the leading run-scorer with 302 runs. The young lad continued his red-hot form in the first two games of the ongoing three-match ODI series against Australia. Gill smashed 178 runs including a blistering century in the second ODI.

Gill would have overtaken Babar if he had not rested for the final ODI

With 847 points, Gill is currently second in the ODI rankings, just 10 points behind Pakistan’s batting maestro. Before the start of the IND vs AUS series, Gill had 814 points, but it went up after scoring 74 and 104 runs in the 1st ODI and 2nd ODI respectively. The youngster had every chance of surpassing Babar this month if he had not rested for the final match on Wednesday in Rajkot.

Gill needs just 22 runs more to climb to the top of the table. However, with the Indian management deciding to rest him due to his workload management, Babar will enter the ODI World Cup 2023 as the World No. 1 batter.

South Africa’s Rassie van der Dussen is third on the rankings with 743 rating points – more than 100 points behind the top two batters. Ireland’s middle-order batter Harry Tector rises to fourth – his career-high rating – while Pakistan opener Imam-ul-Haq is placed in the fifth spot.