Rashid Khan joins Jasprit Bumrah at the top of ODI bowlers rankings

Rashid Khan now has 787 rating points in the ODI bowlers' rankings list

What's the story?

Afghanistan's teenaged leg-spinner Rashid Khan has taken himself up to the joint number one spot in the latest ICC rankings for ODI bowlers. Rashid's rise means he now has an equal number of ratings as India pacer Jasprit Bumrah, which is 787, though Bumrah edges past Rashid when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point.

In case you didn't know...

The wily wrist spinner Rashid is the only one from his country to fall within the top ten of the ODI rankings for bowlers. So far, not only has that been Rashid's best, but also the highest that an Afghan cricketer has gone in terms of rankings and ratings.

The heart of the matter

Rashid, still only 19, has captured the attention of experts across the world with his accurate spin bowling, including his efficient usage of the variation of the googly which he bowls extremely sharply. In the just concluded limited overs series against Zimbabwe in the UAE, Rashid foxed the opposition batsmen repeatedly.

In the two T20s, he bagged five wickets, while in the five ODIs that followed, he enjoyed a memorable run with as many as 16 wickets, including a five-wicket haul of 5/24 in the third ODI as Afghanistan went on to win the two series 2-0 and 4-2, respectively.

Moreover, across both formats, he topped the list of the wicket-takers.

What's next?

Afghanistan next get engaged in the World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe, which begin from March 4, with the first match between Afghanistan and Scotland at Bulawayo. Post that, they play their maiden Test match against India at Bangalore from June 14, having gained Full Membership of the ICC along with Ireland only last year.

Author's Take

With his rapid success making him a global superstar across domestic T20 leagues, it was only a matter of time that Rashid touched the peak and competed with the best of bowlers from the more established cricketing nations.