Pakistan’s middle-order batter Salman Ali Agha has achieved a significant improvement in the latest ICC ODI rankings following his brilliant performance against Sri Lanka in the opening match of the three-match ODI series held at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by six runs in a thrilling contest to take a 1–0 lead in the series. Before the first ODI, Pakistan was ranked fifth and Sri Lanka fourth in the ICC ODI Team Rankings. The victory has pushed Pakistan to fourth place, though the team must win the series to maintain this position. If Sri Lanka wins the next match, they will regain fourth spot.
Salman Ali Agha’s outstanding knock of 105 runs off 87 balls in the first ODI helped him rise 14 places in the ICC ODI batting rankings, moving up to 16th position. Captain Babar Azam remains the only Pakistani batter in the top ten, currently holding seventh place.
Meanwhile, spinner Abrar Ahmed has also achieved his career-best ODI ranking, climbing 17 spots to reach 20th place following his impressive bowling performance against South Africa. Pakistan’s ODI captain, Shaheen Shah Afridi, is currently ranked 16th among bowlers.
Pakistan will look to build on this momentum as the series continues, aiming to strengthen its standing in both the ICC team and player rankings.
