Mohammed Siraj climbs to No.1 in latest ICC ODI bowling rankings
Team India pacer Mohammed Siraj has jumped to the top of the ICC ODI bowlers' rankings as per the latest update on Wednesday, September 20. The 29-year-old has taken a massive leap from No. 9 to the top of the rankings after delivering a fiery spell against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup 2023 final on Sunday.
Siraj left no hiding place for the Sri Lankan batters in the summit clash of the Asia Cup 2023 with a six-wicket haul. The Hyderabad-born bowler's four out of six scalps came in the fourth over of the innings. He dismissed Pathum Nissanka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Dhananjaya de Silva, and Charith Asalanka to become the first Indian to scalp four wickets in an over.
As a result, the hosts were skittled for their lowest ODI score against India of 50 in just 15.2 overs. His next two wickets were Dasun Shanaka and Kusal Mendis as he rearranged their stumps, finishing with figures of 6/21 from seven overs.
Mohammed Siraj finished the Asia Cup with 10 wickets at 12.2, helping him jump eight spots to No.1. In the process, he leapfrogged elite bowlers like Josh Hazlewood, Trent Boult, Rashid Khan, and Mitchell Starc.
The right-arm speedster climbed the top of the spot earlier this year as well before Hazlewood dethroned him.
Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan knock off the target quickly after Mohammed Siraj's six-wicket haul
With only 51 runs to get, skipper Rohit Sharma didn't come to open and sent Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan to bat. The two young batters knocked off the target only in 6.1 overs to propel the Men in Blue to their eighth Asia Cup title. The win came at a perfect time ahead of the 2023 World Cup.
Rohit Sharma and company will continue their World Cup preparations with the three-game ODI series against Australia, beginning on September 22 in Mohali. Their World Cup campaign gets underway on October 8 against Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.