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Indian speedster Mohammed Siraj on Wednesday climbed eight places to reclaim the number one spot in the ODI bowler's rankings ahead of the ICC World Cup which begins on October 5.
Sirajs onslaught in the Asia Cup final bundled out Sri Lanka on 50 and helped him top the bowling rankings chart. With the Asia Cup-winning spell of 6/21, Siraj has got back No 1 position which he lost in March this year to Josh Hazlewood. Siraj finished the tournament with 10 wickets at an average of 12.2. He has overtaken bowlers like Trent Boult, Rashid Khan and Mitchell Starc in the rankings. The Afghan spin duo of Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid Khan also improved their rankings to No. 4 and No. 5 respectively. They were the only others to go up in the top 10. Outside that space, South Africas Keshav Maharaj showed tremendous rise after returning from his injury. Maharaj helped the Proteas become just the fifth side to win a five-match ODI series after losing the first two games against the 'Baggy Greens'. The left-arm spinners 4-33 in the fifth ODI gave him eight wickets in the series at an average of 16.87 and an economy of just 4.07 per over. He is currently at 15th, up ten places from his previous career-high. Changes were also seen in the ICC Men's ODI Batting Rankings. Heinrich Klaasen of South Africa produced an all-time destructive ODI knock against Australia in the fourth ODI. No one has scored more runs in an ODI innings at a higher strike-rate than Klaasens 174 at 209.64 in Centurion. It helped South Africa to a 164-run win and moved Klaasen 20 places in the Mens ODI Batting Rankings. He is now placed ninth. Dawid Malan was dynamic in Englands ODI series against New Zealand, being the highest run-scorer with 277 runs at an average of 92.33 and a strike-rate of 105.72. The batter, who spent 357 days at No.1 spot in the ICC Mens T20I Batting Rankings earlier in his career, is placed at a career-best 13th place in the ODI Rankings. Malans compatriot Ben Stokes, who recently reversed his retirement, celebrated his ODI comeback with a sensational knock of 182 at The Oval. With his eye-catching performances, Stokes has reached the 36th place in the ODI batting rankings. (ANI)
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