Azmatullah Omarzai Becomes World’s No. 1 ODI All-Rounder According latest ICC Rankings

Afghanistan’s rising star Azmatullah Omarzai has achieved a major milestone by claiming the top spot in the ICC ODI all-rounder rankings, surpassing his teammate Mohammad Nabi. Meanwhile, India’s batting great Virat Kohli has climbed to fourth place in the latest ICC ODI rankings for batters following his match-winning knock against Australia in the Champions Trophy semi-final.

Omarzai’s rapid rise in international cricket has been nothing short of spectacular. The 24-year-old’s outstanding performances in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 played a crucial role in Afghanistan’s campaign. He impressed with both bat and ball, delivering a maiden five-wicket haul against England and scoring a resilient 67 against Australia in a rain-affected league match. Across the tournament, he accumulated 126 runs in three innings at an average of 42.00 and a strike rate exceeding 104. With the ball, he picked up seven wickets at an average of 20.00, including a standout 5/58 against England.

His all-round heroics have propelled him two places up the rankings, earning him a career-best 296 rating points. His teammate and former No. 1 all-rounder, Mohammad Nabi, has now slipped to second place. Meanwhile, India’s Axar Patel also made significant progress, jumping 17 spots to 13th, with a career-high 194 rating points.

Omarzai’s Champions Trophy exploits also helped him climb 12 places in the ODI batting rankings, reaching 24th with 598 rating points. His teammate Ibrahim Zadran made an even bigger leap, moving up 13 places to enter the top 10 for the first time. Zadran’s remarkable 177-run innings against England in Lahore has earned him the 10th spot with 676 rating points.

The rankings also saw movements for some of the game’s experienced stars. Australia’s Steve Smith climbed six places to 16th after his Champions Trophy contributions, including a half-century against India. New Zealand’s Kane Williamson also made an impressive jump, moving up eight places to 29th following his fighting 81-run knock against India in Dubai.

For India, Virat Kohli’s outstanding form in the Champions Trophy saw him move up to fourth place in the ODI batting rankings, joining his teammate Shubman Gill, who continues to hold the No. 4 spot. Kohli’s tournament has been exceptional, making him the third-highest run-getter so far, with 217 runs in four innings at an average of 72.33, including a century and a fifty.

In the bowling rankings, New Zealand’s Matt Henry was rewarded for his impressive form, rising three places to third with 649 rating points. He is now just behind Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana (first) and South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj (second).

Indian pace spearhead Mohammed Shami also climbed three places to 11th (609 rating points), following his impactful performances in the Champions Trophy. Meanwhile, South Africa’s Marco Jansen (up nine spots to 18th) and England’s Jofra Archer (up 13 spots to 19th) also made significant gains in the rankings.