India’s star batter Shubman Gill retained the top spot in the latest update of the ICC rankings for men’s ODI batters. In addition, Afghanistan’s rising all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai rose to the top of the all-rounder’s rankings after his phenomenal display at the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Star batter Virat Kohli once again displayed why he is rated so highly in white-ball cricket, more so in big-ticket tournaments, and as the master of run-chases, with his gritty half century helping India beat Australia by four wickets in the high-pressure semifinal of the ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai on Tuesday.
Riding on Virat Kohli's 84, KL Rahul (42 not out) and Hardik Pandya (28 off 24 balls) gave the finishing touches to India's chase of 265 to progress to the final of the eight-team competition.
With the Indian top order of Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, and Shreyas Iyer firing on all cylinders heading into their semifinal clash against Australia on Tuesday, Aussie skipper Steve Smith hailed his opponent batters’ ability to change gears.
Come Sunday, Virat Kohli will be playing his 300th One-day International match when India take on New Zealand in their final Group A match of the 2025 Champions Trophy at the Dubai International Stadium here on Saturday.
After Hardik Pandya's unbeaten 62 carried Gujarat to 168/5, Kohli came out all guns blazing, bringing out his vintage self with a pumped-up attitude to notch up his highest score of the tournament while stitching a 115-run opening stand with du Plessis.
Kohli scored just 20 runs in RCB's 54-run loss to Punjab Kings at the Brabourne Stadium, smashing two boundaries and a six in his brief 14-ball stay at the crease.
The Indian pacer accomplished this feat during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 match between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium. Former India captain Kohli, who has struggled in the cash-rich league, was dismissed by Suchith on the first ball the stylish right-handed batter faced.
Following an unbeaten 73 from Faf du Plessis and a sensational eight-ball 30 from Dinesh Karthik, Bangalore's batting order wilted under scoreboard pressure, collapsing to 125 all out in 19.2 overs.
The Faf du Plessis-led side, currently at fourth place in the points table after a 13-run over Chennai Super Kings, will be itching to solidify their chances of qualifying for the playoffs when they face Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
