India’s Shubman Gill is edging closer to becoming the world’s No. 1 ODI batter following his pivotal 80-run performance against England in the opening ODI at Edgbaston. Gill’s impressive display earned him a 12-point boost in the latest ICC Men’s ODI Batting Rankings, placing him just 11 rating points behind the current top-ranked player, Daryl Mitchell.
Gill, who returned to India’s ODI squad alongside Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli after the T20I series, led India’s chase before retiring hurt on 80 runs off 75 balls, including 11 fours and a six. His contribution was instrumental in India breaking a challenging streak that involved a 4-0 loss in a four-match T20I series against England and a historic 2-0 T20I victory over Ireland.
Meanwhile, Mitchell maintains his position at the top of the rankings after scoring 93 runs in the first two ODIs against the West Indies, setting up an exciting competition for the coveted No. 1 spot between the two batters.
Bumrah made a strong comeback to ODI cricket after a 968-day absence, making an immediate impact by taking 1/31 against England and climbing to 24th in the ICC ODI Bowling Rankings. India’s chase faced a brief setback following Gill’s injury, but Axar Patel (57 not out off 52) and Washington Sundar (52 not out off 63) guided the team to victory with an unbeaten century partnership.
