SPORTSLIBRO CRICKET– LATEST CRICKET NEWS

The Indian Skipper Virat Kohli has jumped up 2 steps forward in the ICC ODI rankings and reclaiming the first position while Josh Hazlewood moved 4 points up the radar to regain the 1st spot ever in the ICC rankings

South Africa’s poor showing in the ongoing competition had a direct bearing as far as the rankings are concerned. Apart from de Villiers, Quinton de Kock also dropped down two spots to be currently ranked No. 6, Faf du Plessis moved down a spot to No. 7 while Hashim Amla moved out of the Top 10.

Shikhar Dhawan, meanwhile, has returned to the Top 10 after strong performances in the tournament. Following knocks of 68 (vs Pakistan), 125 (vs Sri Lanka) and 78 (vs South Africa), the left-handed opener has gained five positions to be currently ranked No. 10. New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson was also rewarded for his good showing in the Champions Trophy. With knocks of 100 (vs Australia), 87 (vs England) and 57 (vs Bangladesh), he moved up by four positions to No. 5.

England had a lot of positives after their three successive wins that put them in the semifinals. Joe Root gained one position to move up to the fourth spot in the rankings for batsmen while Ben Stokes gained nine positions to enter the Top 20. England’s bowlers too moved up in the rankings with Liam Plunkett jumping up seven spots to be ranked No. 9 and Adil Rashid gaining the 11th rank by moving up by nine positions.

There was some positive news for Afghanistan as well following their good showing in the ongoing ODI series against West Indies. Rashid Khan, the 18-year-old leg-spinner who picked up a career-best 7 for 18 in the first ODI and followed it up with figures of 3 for 26 in the second, has had a massive gain, moving up by 18 positions to be ranked No. 7.