Omarzai crowned No. 1 ODI all-rounder

KABUL (Pajhwok): Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai has ascended to the top spot in the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) ODI all-rounder rankings.

Omarzai, who will turn 25 later this month, is charting new territory as he reaches the summit of the ICC rankings.

This remarkable achievement follows his impressive performance in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where he claimed a maiden five-wicket haul against England and scored a valuable 50 against Australia.

These performances propelled him to the position of the world’s top-ranked all-rounder.

In the process, Omarzai has dethroned teammate Mohammad Nabi, who now sits in second place. The right-arm all-rounder climbed two spots, reaching a career-high total of 296 rating points.

Omarzai also made a significant move in the ODI batter rankings, improving by 12 places to 24th (598 rating points) after accumulating 126 runs during the Champions Trophy.

Afghanistan’s stellar performance in the Champions Trophy saw several players make notable strides in the rankings.

Ibrahim Zadran, in particular, showcased his brilliance by scoring 177 runs against England in Lahore, which propelled him up 13 spots to 10th place (676 rating points).

sa/mud