Shubman Gill loses top ODI batters spot to Babar Azam
Dubai, Dec 20: India opener Shubman Gill's reign at the top of of the ODI batters' list was short-lived as he was replaced by former Pakistani skipper Babar Azam in the ICC Player Rankings issued on Wednesday.
The Indian attained the top spot during the ODI World Cup last month, but since then he has not played any ODI.
Babar is back at the top with 824 rating points, while Gill (810) is the second spot followed by teammates Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Shreyas Iyer has dropped to 12th, while KL Rahul has moved a spot to 16th.
In the bowlers' chart, South African spinner Keshav Maharaj remains at the top followed by Australia pacer Josh Hazlewood.
Fast bowler Mohammed Siraj (3rd), Jasprit Bumrah (5th) and Kuldeep Yadav (8th) are the other Indians to feature in the top 10.
Mohammad Shami is at the 11th spot, while spinner Ravindra Jadeja is ranked 22nd.
The all-rounders' list remains relatively unchanged, with Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan staying at the top spot.
Jadeja (12th) and Hardik Pandya (17th) are the only Indians in the top 20.
In T20Is, India's Suryakumar Yadav remains atop the batting chart.
Adil Rashid holds the number one spot among T20 bowlers, becoming only the second English spinner after Graeme Swann to do so.
Rashid has replaced Afghanistan's Rashid Khan, thanks to his seven-wicket haul in four T20Is against the West Indies, while Ravi Bishnoi (3rd) is the top-ranked Indian.
Shakib leads the chart among T20 all-rounders, with Pandya (4th) being the highest-ranked Indian.
New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson dominates the number one spot among Test batters, followed by Joe Root (2nd) and Steven Smith (3rd).
Australia's Usman Khawaja has risen to the fourth spot following a stellar show in the opening Test against Pakistan in Perth. Rohit (10th) is the highest-ranked Indian.
Veteran India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin tops the Test bowlers' chart, followed by Kagiso Rabada, Shakib and Jadeja.
A few Aussies have scaled heights, with skipper Pat Cummins climbing to the third place, followed by Nathan Lyon (5th), Mitchell Starc (8th) and Josh Hazlewood (10th), thanks to their dominant display against Pakistan.
In the all-rounders' chart, Jadeja remains at the summit, followed by Ashwin in the second spot, while Axar Patel is ranked fifth.
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Vijayan, Tharoor present at Vizhinjam port : Modi says it will give 'sleepless nights' to many
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Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday took a swipe at the Congress, saying the presence of its MP Shashi Tharoor at the commissioning of the Vizhinjam International Seaport here will give "sleepless nights" to many.
Modi's direct mention of Tharoor's presence at the event comes at a time when the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram is being accused by his own party colleagues of going soft on the BJP after the Pahalgam terror attack.
Tharoor has also been criticised by some Congress leaders for praising India's deft diplomacy on the Russia-Ukraine conflict under Modi's leadership.
The Prime Minister also described Kerala Chief Minister Vijayan, who was also present at the inauguration, as a "pillar" of the opposition INDIA bloc.
"I would like to say to our chief minister, you are a big and strong pillar of the INDI Alliance. Shashi Tharoor is also sitting here, and I would like to say that today's event will take away the sleep of many," Modi said.
However, the person translating his speech did not translate it properly, and it prompted Modi to say: "The message has gone across to whom it was meant".
Tharoor, who received Modi on his arrival on Thursday, posted on X:" Despite delays at the dysfunctional Delhi airport, managed to land in Thiruvananthapuram in time to receive Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his arrival in my constituency. Looking forward to his officially commissioning Vizhinjam port, a project I have been proud to have been involved with since its inception."
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala assembly V D Satheesan did not attend the commissioning of the Vizhinjam port, protesting the late invitation extended to him for the function.
Satheesan had expressed his ire against the government for not acknowledging the pivotal role played by the previous UDF government led by Oommen Chandy in establishing the port by signing an agreement with the Adani Group and carrying out the initial works.
In March, Tharoor praised the government's handling of the Russia-Ukraine war as an endorsement of India's deft diplomacy under Modi's leadership.
Tharoor was also criticised by his party colleague Udit Raj for his reported "no country has 100-per cent foolproof intelligence" remarks after the Pahalgam terror attack. Being a Congressman, how did Tharoor become the BJP's lawyer and give the ruling party a "clean chit" on the Pahalgam terror attack, Udit Raj wondered. Tharoor hit back at Raj, saying the latter is a former Bharatiya Janata Party MP and "is better qualified to understand who speaks for the BJP".
