Zimbabwe’s veteran star Sikandar Raza has etched his name in history, climbing to the No.1 spot in the ICC Men’s ODI all-rounder rankings at the age of 39. Despite Zimbabwe falling short in their ODI series against Sri Lanka in Harare, Raza’s consistent brilliance with both bat and ball propelled him past Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi and Azmatullah Omarzai to claim the top ranking.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Raza registered back-to-back half-centuries in the series, along with figures of 1/48 in the opening game, underlining his impact in all facets. His efforts saw him reach 302 rating points, moving ahead of Nabi (292) and Omarzai (296). His batting form also earned him a jump of nine places to 22nd in the ODI Batting Rankings.While Zimbabwe couldn’t secure a victory, Raza’s rise was the standout storyline. His feat is particularly inspiring given his age, proving that experience and determination can still dominate at the highest level.
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Elsewhere, Sri Lanka’s series win was marked by impressive leaps in the rankings. Pathum Nissanka’s scores of 122 and 76 pushed him up seven spots to 13th among ODI batters, while Janith Liyanage surged 13 places to 29th. On the bowling charts, pacers Asitha Fernando and Dilshan Madushanka climbed to 31st and 52nd respectively.South Africa’s emphatic win over England in Leeds also sparked movement. Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj consolidated his hold at the top of the ODI Bowling Rankings with 690 points, while Lungi Ngidi rose to equal 23rd. England pacer Jofra Archer, despite the defeat, broke into the top 20, sitting 19th with 571 points.In T20Is, Mohammad Nabi gained ground, moving up to second among all-rounders behind India’s Hardik Pandya. Ibrahim Zadran’s fine knocks pushed him into the top 20 T20 batters, while Pakistan’s Sufiyan Muqeem entered the top 25 bowlers.
