Josh Hazlewood crowned as No.1 ODI bowler as Mohammed Siraj loses top spot in ICC Rankings
Team India pacer Mohammed Siraj was dethroned as the No.1 ranked ODI bowler after Australian seamer Josh Hazlewood overtook him in the latest ICC rankings for bowlers.
Siraj reached the summit of the rankings in January 2023 on the back of his impressive performances in the ongoing series against Australia. The right-arm pacer took three wickets in the series opener, but went on to concede 37 runs off just three overs as India endured a humbling 10-wicket loss in Vishakapatnam.
Josh Hazlewood was ruled out of the Border-Gavaskar series as well as the ODI series, but still finds himself at the top of the list with 713 points. New Zealand pacer Trent Boult holds the second spot with 708 points, while the Indian speedster slips down to the third rank with 702 points and is on level with the in-form Mitchell Starc.
In the longest format, Kane Williamson has made serious strides towards the top of the pile. A prolific home series against Sri Lanka, which included a match-winning century in the first Test and a double century in the second, propels him to the second spot, narrowly behind Marnus Labuschagne.
The former New Zealand Test skipper has 883 points, while the No.1 ranked Labuschagne has 915 points to his name.
Team India skipper Rohit Sharma also slips out of the top 10, with Dimuth Karunaratne taking over the position after a solid series with the bat against the Blackcaps.
Mohammed Siraj currently toiling against Australia in the third ODI
Mohammed Siraj bowled his heart out in a four-over spell under the raging heat in Chennai in the third ODI against Australia.
Winning the toss and electing to bat first, the opening combination of Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh, once again got Australia off to a splendid start.
Siraj conceded 17 runs off his first couple of overs, which included a flurry of boundaries. However, he came back strong, even bowling a maiden over in the seventh over of the innings.
Australia are currently placed at 61-0 after 10 overs, with skipper Rohit Sharma introducing spin in the fifth over itself.
Siraj will soon bowl alongside Hazlewood, albeit in the shortest format, when the bowlers shed off their national colors to represent the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season.
Will Mohammed Siraj reclaim his No.1 ODI ranking soon? Let us know what you think.