Shubman Gill climbs to No. 2 in ICC ODI rankings

A cricket ranking table can look cold, almost clerical. Then one Wednesday update lands, and suddenly it tells a bigger story about form, timing, and a changing Indian batting order.

Shubman Gill has jumped to No. 2 among ODI batters after leading India’s run charts against Afghanistan. He is now only 24 rating points behind New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell, the current No. 1.

That is not just a number. For Indian cricket fans used to seeing Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma near the top, Gill’s climb feels like a generational handover playing out in public.

Gill closes in on ODI summit

Gill scored 238 runs in the 3-match ODI series against Afghanistan. That made him the highest run-scorer of the series and pushed him up from No. 5 to No. 2 in the latest ICC rankings.

For a young captain, that matters. Runs carry weight, but runs while leading the side carry a slightly different pressure. Every innings becomes a statement about both form and temperament.

Gill has been around long enough to lose the “new boy” tag. Still, this rise has come at an important time. India are quietly building their next core, and ODI cricket needs stable anchors who can also shift gears.

The distance to Daryl Mitchell is small in ranking terms. One strong series can close 24 points. One quiet one can widen the gap again. That is the brutal beauty of weekly rankings.

Kohli slips, Rohit holds ground

Virat Kohli missed the Afghanistan series due to a hamstring injury. That absence cost him one place, moving him from No. 2 to No. 3 in the ODI batting list.

For Kohli, rankings have never told the whole story. But they do show how unforgiving the system can be. If you sit out, someone else can move past you.

Rohit Sharma stayed at No. 4 after scoring 143 runs in the same series, including 1 half-century. That is steady work, though not the sort of volume that usually creates a rankings jump.

For Indian fans, the top order now has a familiar but changing shape. Kohli and Rohit remain relevant. Gill is no longer waiting behind them. He is pushing the door open with numbers.

That selection-room meaning is hard to miss. India cannot plan only around reputation now. They must plan around form, fitness, and how quickly younger players handle responsibility.

Kishan makes a sharp jump

Ishan Kishan has gained 21 places and moved to No. 43 among ODI batters. That is a big jump for a player who has often had to fight for a fixed spot.

Kishan’s ranking rise tells a simple story. When chances come in a crowded Indian setup, players must make them count quickly. There is rarely a long runway.

For wicketkeeper-batters, the competition is even sharper. India have options across formats, and every innings becomes part of a larger debate. Who opens? Who keeps? Who finishes? Who fits the balance?

A move to No. 43 does not make Kishan an automatic pick. But it keeps him in the conversation. In Indian cricket, sometimes staying in the conversation is half the battle.

The Afghanistan series also helped Indian bowlers in the ODI charts. Arshdeep Singh climbed 16 places to No. 22. Prasidh Krishna rose 34 places to No. 58. Washington Sundar moved up 17 places to joint No. 71.

Those jumps matter because India’s white-ball bowling pool has been in constant churn. Injuries, workload management, and format demands have forced selectors to keep widening the net.

Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan remains the No. 1 ODI bowler. Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed sits second, while England’s Jofra Archer holds third place.

Henry joins Bumrah at the top

The biggest Test ranking story comes from New Zealand. Matt Henry has moved to joint No. 1 among Test bowlers, sharing the top spot with Jasprit Bumrah.

Henry played a key role in New Zealand’s 253-run win over England in the second Test. That performance pushed him to the top of the rankings.

The milestone carries real weight for New Zealand cricket. Henry is the first New Zealand bowler in 36 years to reach No. 1 in the Test bowling rankings. Richard Hadlee was the last, back in 1990.

Bumrah had held the No. 1 spot alone since November 2024, after going past Kagiso Rabada. He now shares it with Henry, while Australia’s Mitchell Starc is at No. 3.

Test rankings move slowly compared with T20 buzz. So when a fast bowler reaches the top, it usually reflects sustained quality, not one lucky burst.

Root returns to Test peak

There was movement among Test batters too. England’s Joe Root climbed 2 places and returned to No. 1.

Harry Brook sits at No. 2, while Australia’s Travis Head is No. 3. That top 3 says plenty about the current shape of Test batting. Experience, aggression, and high-risk scoring now sit side by side.

Root’s return is also a reminder that class travels across cycles. Teams rebuild, captains change, formats pull players in different directions, but pure run-making still finds its place.

For India, though, the headline remains Gill’s charge in ODIs and Bumrah’s continued command in Tests. One represents the next batting centre. The other remains India’s most precious bowling asset.

Rankings are not trophies, and players know that better than anyone. But they are useful signboards. Right now, they show Indian cricket standing between two eras, with old giants still present and newer names already demanding space. For fans, that makes the next few series more than routine cricket. They will show who merely rises in a table, and who starts owning the moment.