DUBAI: Rohit Sharma, the veteran Indian opener, has done a spectacular thing which could be called a double record: first time ever he became the world number one ODI batter and the oldest player ever to reach the top spot in the ICC ODI rankings.
After raising his rank by two places and overtaking the captain Shubman Gill, Rohit made his way to the top of the list, according to the new rankings released by the ICC on Wednesday.
An Indian batting genius’s move to the pinnacle of the list can be explained by nothing but his phenomenal performance in the ODI series against Australia where he played a sensational 100 not out to take India to a nine-wicket victory in the last game in Sydney. Rohit scored 202 runs in the three matches.
It is the first time that Rohit Sharma has come at the top of the batting list in One Day Internationals by the ICC. He is now the oldest player in the history of cricket to be ranked the No. 1 ODI batsman for 38 years and 182 days.
The new ranking turns the spotlight on Ibrahim Zadran from Afghanistan as the second-best batter and Shubman Gill from India who has dropped to the third position. Babar Azam from Pakistan, who is at the fourth position, remains there.
ALSO READ: South Africa crush England to reach maiden Women’s World Cup final
Meanwhile, South Africa dispatched England by a whopping 125-run margin in the first semi-final of the ICC Women’s World Cup, on Wednesday. This victory led the team to the final of the World Cup for the first time in history.
It was a captain’s knock that the green outfit needed and they got it as the South African skipper blazed her way to a sublime 169-run innings that was the bedrock of the entire team’s 50 over 319-run total. It was Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati where the South African team, deciding to bat after losing the toss, set a fearsome target of 319 runs in 50 overs to be chased by England.
While Tazmin Brits (45), Marizanne Kapp (42), and Chloe Tryon (33) all made useful contributions to South Africa’s score, the most important role to the highest individual score of the match went to the captain’s marvelous 169-run innings.
England was already on the back foot after the loss of quick wickets in the top order as they could manage a meager 194 runs in the 42.3 overs, thus, failing to reach the target set by South Africa. Three batsmen were out for zero, indicating the severity with which the top order was attacked.
Only one player could be found among the entire batting line-up of the English team making a fight as the Captain Nat Sciver-Brunt contributed 64 runs. Alice Capsey made 50, Danni Wyatt-Hodge 34, and Linsey Smith 27.
Such a dominant performance by South Africa’s women cricketers is, without a doubt, a turning point, as they get a chance to play in the World Cup final for the very first time.
