The latest ICC rankings show New Zealand's Tim Seifert and Finn Allen rising in T20I rankings. Babar Azam has slipped to 8th. Australia's Travis Head leads T20I batters. Among bowlers, Jacob Duffy has achieved a career-best ranking of 12th. In ODIs, Netherlands' Aryan Dutt and Paul van Meekeren have moved up the bowlers' rankings.
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Ricky Ponting praised India's all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Hardik Pandya for their stellar performance in the 2025 Champions Trophy. He highlighted their contribution to India's batting depth and balance. Specifically, Ponting commended Axar Patel's consistent bowling and impactful batting, which eased the pressure on India's lower order.
Virat Kohli has re-entered the top-five in ICC's ODI batting rankings after scoring his 51st century against Pakistan. India hold three spots in the top five, with Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma remaining strong. Other notable movements include KL Rahul, Will Young, and Ben Duckett. Maheesh Theekshana leads ODI bowlers, while Michael Bracewell made significant gains as an all-rounder.
West Indies legend Clive Lloyd opposes the two-tier Test cricket proposal, stating it will hinder new teams' growth by confining them to a lower division. He emphasizes Test cricket's unmatched appeal and urges the ICC to create a fair system to support all teams equally. Lloyd also highlights financial challenges in sustaining Test cricket.
The Desert Vipers secured a comprehensive five-wicket win over the Gulf Giants to confirm a top-two finish for themselves. Max Holden's 70 runs off 54 balls led the Vipers to victory in 19 overs, after an effective bowling display, headed by Wanindu Hasaranga and Sam Curran, restricted the Giants to a below-par total.
Tilak Varma moved to second place among T20 batters and could potentially overtake Travis Head for the top spot with good performances in the next matches. Varun Chakravarthy jumped to fifth among bowlers after a strong showing against England. Adil Rashid regained the No.1 spot among T20I bowlers following three economical performances against India.
England must defeat Afghanistan in their crucial Champions Trophy match to stay in the tournament. Following a disappointing loss to Australia, England's inconsistent batting and weak bowling performance need improvement. Afghanistan's strong spin attack poses a challenge. Both teams are at risk of elimination, making this a high-stakes match.
India's head coach Gautam Gambhir emphasized the significant roles that veterans Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will play in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy. He highlighted the unique challenge of the tournament's format and praised captain Suryakumar Yadav for his impact on the T20I squad.
Yashasvi Jaiswal's spectacular fielding in his ODI debut for India against England drew praise from Axar Patel and fielding coach T Dilip. Jaiswal's stunning catch of Ben Duckett was instrumental in shifting the momentum, as India managed to bring down England from 75/1 to 77/3.
India's Rohit Sharma hopes Shubman Gill will continue his excellent form from the ODI series against England into the ICC Champions Trophy. India face Bangladesh in their opening match on Thursday, with significant players like Rohit, Virat Kohli, Mohd. Shami and Kuldeep Yadav aiming to perform well.
India's vice-captain, Jasprit Bumrah, emphasized the team's transitional phase following their struggles in the Brisbane Test. He has taken an impressive 18 wickets in the series so far, including a six-wicket spell in the first innings of the third Test in Brisbane, but India's batting disappointed once again. The series is level at 1-1.