ICC ODI Rankings | 35-year-old South African back as No.1 bowler, two Indians in Top 10; Namibia spinner in Top 5

NEW DELHI: South Africa’s veteran spinner Keshav Maharaj has reclaimed the top spot in the latest ICC ODI bowling rankings, released on Wednesday. The 35-year-old left-arm tweaker surged to No.1 after a match-winning performance against Australia in Cairns, where he claimed 5 for 33 in a 98-run victory to seal Player of the Match honours. Maharaj had briefly topped the rankings in late 2023 and now returns as the world’s leading ODI bowler.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!India’s Kuldeep Yadav, who had been occupying the No.1 spot, slipped to third after being overtaken by both Maharaj and Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana. Kuldeep, however, remains India’s highest-ranked ODI bowler, with all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja joining him in the top 10. India have not played an ODI since their Champions Trophy triumph, which has slowed movement for their bowlers.One of the biggest surprises in the list is Namibia’s Bernard Scholtz, who is at fourth place. The left-arm spinner is the only Associate player inside the Top 20, making his rise into the Top 5 a landmark moment for Namibian cricket. Scholtz’s consistent wicket-taking performances in Associate tournaments have now earned him recognition on the global stage.Elsewhere, West Indies fast bowler Jayden Seales made headlines with his 6 for 18 against Pakistan, vaulting 15 spots to 18th position. Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed (joint-39th) and West Indies’ Roston Chase (58th) also registered notable gains.On the batting front, Shubman Gill continues to reign supreme at No.1 with 784 points, while teammates Rohit Sharma (2nd), Virat Kohli (4th) and Shreyas Iyer (8th) in Top 10. West Indies captain Shai Hope entered the top 10 after an unbeaten 120 against Pakistan.In T20Is, India’s youngsters continue to dominate: Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma occupy the top two batting positions, while Suryakumar Yadav (6th) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (10th) make it four Indians in the Top 10.