SIRAJ BACK AS NO. 1 IN MRF TYRES ICC MEN’S ODI BOWLING RANKINGS

Mohammad Siraj.

Khel Today Bureau 
Dubai: India fast bowler Mohammad Siraj has re-grabbed the number one position among bowlers in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings after his sensational haul of six for 21 against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final in Colombo.

Siraj, who first grabbed the top position in January this year and was displaced by Josh Hazlewood in March, has surged eight spots after his memorable performance that helped dismiss the hosts for just 50 runs and enabled India to complete a 10-wicket victory.

South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj is another big mover in the latest weekly update that comes just over a fortnight ahead of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 and considers performances in the last two matches of the South Africa versus Australia series and the England versus New Zealand series apart from the Asia Cup.

Maharaj, who helped South Africa become just the fifth team to win a five-match ODI series after losing the first two matches, had figures of four for 33 in the final match that helped him finish with eight wickets in the series and reach 15th position, 10 places above his previous career best.

Other bowlers to move up the rankings include Afghanistan spinners Mujeeb-ur Rahman (up two places to fourth) and Rashid Khan (up three places to fifth). England all rounder Chris Woakes is up to 11th place while South Africa’s Lungi Ngidi is in 21st position.

South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen and England’s Dawid Malan are big movers in the batting charts. Klaasen’s cracking 174 against Australia in Centurion has lifted him into the top 10 for the first time while Malan is at a career-best 13th position after scoring 277 runs in the three matches he played in the series.

Ben Stokes has gained 13 spots and moved into 36th position with the bat after recording England’s highest ever score of 182 at The Oval.

South Africa’s David Miller (up four places to 17th), Sri Lanka’s Charith Asalanka (up two places to 28th), Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hassan (up five places to joint-29th) and Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey (up three places to joint-29th) are among the others to move up the batting rankings.