Siraj Regains the no 1 ODI Bowling Rankings

Mohammed Siraj’s remarkable performance in the Asia Cup final has propelled him back to the coveted position of the No. 1 ODI bowler in the world. This marks his second stint as the top-ranked bowler, having previously held the position earlier in 2023 before briefly being surpassed by Josh Hazlewood.

Siraj Regains the no 1 ODI Bowling Rankings

Siraj’s remarkable ascent to the summit of the rankings comes on the back of his outstanding display in the Asia Cup, where he claimed ten wickets at a staggering average of 12.20. His crowning moment was the extraordinary spell of 6 for 21 in the final, where he single-handedly dismantled Sri Lanka’s batting lineup, resulting in their collapse for just 50 runs. Notably, this spell included a four-wicket over, an accomplishment that had only been achieved three times in the history of men’s ODI cricket before. 

In addition to Mohammed Siraj’s surge to the top of the ODI bowling rankings, there were notable improvements for other bowlers as well. The Afghan spin duo of Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid Khan climbed to No. 4 and No. 5, respectively, in the rankings, further solidifying their status as premier spinners in the limited-overs format.

Outside the top 10, South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj rose significantly in the rankings after returning from injury. Maharaj was instrumental in South Africa’s historic series win over Australia, as the squad became only the fifth to win a five-match ODI series despite losing the first two games. His outstanding effort in the series, which included a 4-33 spell in the fifth ODI, saw him take eight wickets at an average of 16.87 and an economy rate of just 4.07 per over. As a result, Maharaj is currently ranked 15th, ten places higher than his previous career high.