A look at the five highest ranked batters that will feature in the Champions Trophy 2025.
The Champions Trophy 2025 is set to kick off on February 19, featuring the best players in the world. Top eight teams in the fifty-over format will compete in the tournament to be hosted in Pakistan and the UAE.
As for the format of the competition, eight teams are split into two groups with the top two sides from each group reaching the semifinals. India, Pakistan, New Zealand, and Bangladesh are placed in Group A while Group B comprises Afghanistan, Australia, England, and South Africa.
In the lead up to the tournament, we take a look at five of the highest ranked batters as per the latest ICC rankings, updated on February 12.
Babar Azam sits at the top of the ICC rankings for batters in men’s ODIs. The former Pakistan captain has 786 rating. His record in this format speaks for itself, with over 6000 runs at an average of 55.73 and strike rate of 88.13. Babar has registered 19 centuries and 34 half centuries in ODIs.
Azam’s current form could be a worry for Pakistan. He has scored only two fifties in the last 10 innings, and managed 62 runs from three innings in the recent tri-nation series.
Shubman Gill has jumped to number two on the ICC rankings with a fantastic series against England. He made 259 runs in three innings, including 112 off 102 at Ahmedabad. The 25-year-old opener has 781 ratings to his credit and can surpass Azam with a stellar Champions Trophy campaign.
Jubilation as @ShubmanGill gets to a fine CENTURY!
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 12, 2025
Keep at it, young man 🙌🙌
Live – https://t.co/S88KfhFzri… #INDvENG@IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/Xbcy6uaO6J
Gill has a phenomenal record in ODI cricket, having accumulated 2587 runs at an average of 60.16 while striking at 101.93. He is one of the only two batters in the history of the game to have more than 1000 runs at 50 average and 100 strike rate.
The Indian captain is the third highest ranked batter on the ICC ODI rankings. Rohit Sharma’s form in the longer format may have lost him his spot in the Test side but ODIs is a different ball game. Sharma delivered a sensational knock in the second game against England, scoring 119 off 90 deliveries.
Rohit currently has a rating of 773 on ICC rankings. He has amassed 10988 runs in the fifty-over format at an average of 49.05 and strike rate of 92.69. Sharma has hit 32 hundreds and 57 fifties in ODI cricket.
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The South African batter is ranked fifth on the ODI rankings with a rating of 736. Heinrich Klaasen is amongst the most destructive batters in the world and will be a key for the Proteas in the Champions Trophy 2025.
Klaasen has 2074 runs in ODI cricket at a strike rate of 117.44 while averaging 44.12. He has returned to form, with 351 runs in the last four ODIs at a stunning strike rate of 130.
The Indian superstar Virat Kohli has been at the top of the ICC rankings in each format. His current form, however, hasn’t been as prolific. He has slipped to number six on the batting chart with a rating of 728.
Kohli has one fifty in the last five innings but showed good signs in his 52-run knock in the most recent fixture. His record in the ODI format is second to none. The Indian number three remains a key figure for them in the Champions Trophy 2025.
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