Maheesh Theekshana Achieves Career-Best Third Rank in ICC Men’s ODI Bowling Rankings

Synopsis

On January 15, 2023, Sri Lanka's Maheesh Theekshana reached a remarkable career-best of third in the ICC Men’s ODI bowling rankings. This marks his debut in the top three at just 24 years old, following stellar performances in recent matches.

Key Takeaways

Maheesh Theekshana rises to third in ICC Men’s ODI bowling rankings.
Achieved this after outstanding performances in New Zealand.
He is only six points behind Rashid Khan.
Maintained a strong position in ODI all-rounder rankings.
Top 10 batting rankings remain unchanged.

New Delhi, Jan 15 (NationPress) Sri Lanka off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana has reached an all-time high of third position in the latest ICC Men’s ODI bowling rankings published on Wednesday. This achievement marks Theekshana's first entry into the top three of the Men's ODI bowlers ranking list at the age of 24.

Theekshana ascended four positions after an impressive performance of 4-44 in the second ODI match in Hamilton, which included a hat-trick, despite Sri Lanka facing a loss by 113 runs. He followed it up with a stellar 3-35 in the third ODI in Auckland, helping Sri Lanka secure a victory by 140 runs. Additionally, Theekshana has moved up four spots to joint 26th in the men’s ODI all-rounder rankings, sharing the position with Curtis Campher and Gudakesh Motie.

With a total of 663 rating points, Theekshana is now just six points shy of the top-ranked bowler, Rashid Khan from Afghanistan (669 points). Following him is India’s Kuldeep Yadav in second place with 665 points, while Shaheen Shah Afridi from Pakistan ranks fourth with 662 points.

In the latest update, Matt Henry of New Zealand has made a return to the top 10 of the ODI bowler rankings after being awarded Player of the Series in the recent series against Sri Lanka. Henry took a total of nine wickets during the series at an average of 10.33, placing him jointly at ninth alongside Adam Zampa from Australia.

Mitchell Santner, the captain of New Zealand, climbed two spots to 15th after taking three wickets in the last two matches. Meanwhile, Asitha Fernando, a fast bowler from Sri Lanka, achieved a career-best Player of the Match performance of 3-26 in the final match, elevating him to the 97th position.

In terms of the men’s ODI batting rankings, there were no changes in the top 10, with Babar Azam from Pakistan maintaining his top position with 795 points. He is followed by India’s trio of captain Rohit Sharma (765), young sensation Shubman Gill (763), and the legendary Virat Kohli (746).

Rachin Ravindra, a left-handed all-rounder from New Zealand, jumped 11 places to 39th after scoring 79 runs in the second match, while Janith Liyanage from Sri Lanka moved up 11 spots to 57th following a half-century in the final game.

Ravindra’s teammate Mark Chapman entered the top 100 after scoring 62 and 81, while Charith Asalanka, the captain of Sri Lanka, fell five places to 18th after recording two ducks.