Afghanistan achieve historic milestone in ICC ODI rankings: Details here
What's the story
Team Afghanistan has achieved a historic milestone by climbing to the sixth position in the ICC men's ODI team rankings. This is their highest-ever ranking in the format. The rise comes after a string of impressive performances, including a 4-0 series win over Ireland and an unbeaten run in the recent UAE tri-series against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.
Milestones
Afghanistan's ODI journey so far
Since their ODI debut in 2009, Afghanistan have come a long way in international cricket.
They have won 96 of their 191 ODIs, boasting an impressive win-loss ratio of 1.09.
Their historic victories over Pakistan and Sri Lanka at the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup and a maiden semi-final appearance at the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup are major milestones in their cricketing journey.
Ascendancy
Recent ODI series victories and T20I sweep
Afghanistan have surpassed established cricketing nations such as Bangladesh, England, and West Indies to break into the top six of the ODI rankings for the first time.
Their recent performances include a 4-0 away series victory over Ireland.
They also completed a clean sweep against Zimbabwe in a three-match T20I series recently.
The likes of Rashid Khan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Ibrahim Zadran have been instrumental to their recent ODI success.
Future prospects
A new era for Afghanistan cricket
Afghanistan will now shift their focus to a two-match Test series against Zimbabwe as they look to continue their impressive run across international cricket.
Their rise in the ODI rankings is a testament to their consistent performance and improvement in the 50-over format.
The team has already moved ahead of teams such as Bangladesh, England, and West Indies in the rankings.