Azmatullah Omarzai has ascended to the top of the International Cricket Council’s all-rounder rankings, marking a milestone for Afghanistan’s cricketing ambitions following a standout performance in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
The 24-year-old all-rounder’s rapid rise has been fueled by a stellar tournament campaign, which included a maiden five-wicket haul against England and a crucial half-century against Australia. With these performances, Omarzai surpassed his teammate Mohammad Nabi to become the world’s top-ranked all-rounder, achieving a career-high 296 rating points.
Omarzai’s ranking surge is part of a broader trend of Afghanistan’s growing influence in international cricket. His teammate, Ibrahim Zadran, also made significant gains in the latest ODI batting rankings, moving up 13 spots to 10th after scoring 177 runs against England in Lahore. Omarzai himself climbed 12 places to reach 24th in the batting rankings, accumulating 598 rating points.
A changing of the guard
India’s Axar Patel was another major climber in the all-rounder rankings, jumping 17 places to 13th and achieving a career-high 194 rating points.
Australia’s Steve Smith also made gains in the batting rankings, rising six spots to 16th following his Champions Trophy contributions. New Zealand’s Kane Williamson, a veteran of the game, moved up eight places to 29th.
Meanwhile, India’s Shubman Gill remains the world’s top-ranked ODI batter, while teammate Virat Kohli advanced to fourth after earning Player of the Match honors in the Champions Trophy semi-final against Australia in Dubai.
Bowling rankings see new leaders
New Zealand’s Matt Henry saw his Champions Trophy performances rewarded with a rise of three places in the ODI bowling rankings, moving into third place with 649 rating points. He now trails only Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana and South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj.
India’s Mohammed Shami, who enjoyed a resurgence during the tournament, climbed three spots to 11th (609 rating points), while South Africa’s Marco Jansen jumped nine places to 18th. England’s Jofra Archer also made a notable leap, climbing 13 spots to enter the top 20 at equal-19th.
Afghanistan’s strong showing in the Champions Trophy has propelled its players into global recognition, signaling a shift in the balance of power in international cricket.
