Massive leap! Axar climbs ICC rankings ladder

• Axar Patel jumps to 9th in ICC ODI all-rounder rankings
• He scored 57* and took 4 wickets in India's win over England
• Shubman Gill remains 2nd in ODI batter rankings after 80 runs

New Delhi: Axar Patel made big strides to break into the top ten of the ICC ODI rankings for all-rounders after his match-winning performance for India

in the first ODI against England at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Tuesday. Axar slammed an unbeaten 57 and picked up four wickets to help India beat England by six wickets in the first ODI.

The left-arm all-rounder took his tally to 213 points and jumped three places in the all-rounder rankings to grab the ninth spot. Axar came out to bat in the game, with India under pressure in the 258-run chase after losing Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul in quick succession.

India were going well after a poor start with Gill and Iyer in control of the chase. However, the Indian skipper had to retire hurt due to a cramp while batting on 80, before Iyer got run out on 35. India lost Rahul cheaply on 1 to be reduced to 160/4 in no time in the run chase.

However, Axar combined with Washington to take the team home with a match-winning unbeaten stand. The duo slammed unbeaten half-centuries apiece to share a 102-run stand for the fifth wicket and wrap up the run chase with 28 balls to spare.

Axar is now the only Indian in the top ten all-rounders in the ICC ODI rankings. The elite list is led by Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai, who is followed by Bangladesh’s Mehidy Hasan in the second spot.

ICC ODI rankings for all-rounders:

1) Azmatullah Omarzai

2) Mehidy Hasan

3) Mohammad Nabi

4) Sikandar Raza

5) Michael Bracewell

6) Mitchell Santner

7) Brandon McMullen

8) Rashid Khan

9) Axar Patel

10) Wanindu Hasaranga

Shubman Gill remains in 2nd spot in batting rankings

Meanwhile, Indian skipper Gill held on to his second spot in the ICC ODI rankings for batters after his unbeaten 80 against England in the first ODI at Edgbaston. Gill is second with 803 points behind New Zealand’s Daryll Mitchell, who is currently the no.1 ODI batter in the world.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma hold the no. 3 and 4 spots, respectively in the ICC ODI rankings for batters. Gill has been in terrific form for India ever since replacing Rohit Sharma as captain in Tests and ODIs and has been piling on runs consistently. He will be hoping to continue his purple patch in the 2nd ODI between India and England on Thursday, July 16.