Team India star Shubman Gill has dethroned Pakistan's Babar Azam as the No.1 ranked ODI batter as the Champions Trophy 2025 draws nearer. It is a major shake-up in the rankings, especially when India vs Pakistan is the most anticipated contest of the eight-team tournament as the two sides will lock horns on February 23 in Dubai.
Gill, who will open alongside skipper Rohit Sharma in the eight-team event, sizzled in the three-game ODI series against England, finishing with 259 runs, averaging an astonishing 86.33 along with a century and two fifties. By contrast, Babar, who held the No.1 spot for quite a few months, registered scores of 10, 23 and 29 in the tri-series against New Zealand and South Africa.
Despite Babar possessing a strong record at No.3, the management decided to open with him but it backfired. India's middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer has also entered the top 10 rankings, while Rohit is at No.3 and Virat Kohli at No.6.
Pakistan beat India to clinch the 2017 Champions Trophy title
Pakistan, meanwhile, will start as the defending champions ahead of the 2025 edition, having sealed their first title in 2017 by defeating arch-rivals in the final in London. The Men in Green, captained by Sarfaraz Ahmed, amassed 338 in the final, spearheaded by Fakhar Zaman's hundred. Later, fiery spells from Mohammad Amir and Hasan Ali ensured that India got nowhere close to the target.
Pakistan will start the tournament against New Zealand on February 19 in Karachi and their clash against India is on the 23rd.
