The rise of Azmatullah Omarzai, the Afghanistan all-rounder, has been nothing short of meteoric. Just 25 years old, Omarzai’s remarkable performances during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 have propelled him to the top of the ICC Men’s All-Rounder Rankings, making him the world’s number-one ranked all-rounder.
Omarzai’s breakout performance included a maiden five-wicket haul against England, followed by a crucial 50 against Australia, which was instrumental in Afghanistan’s impressive campaign. These feats helped him dethrone his teammate Mohammad Nabi, who drops to second in the rankings. Omarzai’s rise to the top marks a career-high 296 rating points.
While Omarzai stole the spotlight, India’s Axar Patel also had an impressive rise, jumping 17 spots to 13th with a career-high 194 rating points.
Beyond his all-rounder success, Omarzai also saw an impressive climb in the ODI batter rankings, moving up 12 spots to 24th following his 126 total runs in the tournament. This places him on the radar as one of Afghanistan’s emerging stars in the ODI circuit.
Afghanistan’s Champions Trophy campaign proved to be a breakthrough for many of their players, including Ibrahim Zadran, who also made a significant leap in the ODI batter rankings. The 23-year-old’s stunning 177-run knock against England propelled him up 13 spots to 10th, with 676 rating points.
Among other notable climbs in the ODI batter rankings, Australia’s Steve Smith moved up six spots to 16th after his crucial contributions, while New Zealand’s Kane Williamson jumped eight spots to 29th.
In the Men’s ODI Batter Rankings, India’s Shubman Gill retains his No.1 spot, while his teammate Virat Kohli surged to fourth following his Player of the Match performance in the Champions Trophy semi-final against Australia.
This surge of talent, including the rise of Omarzai, is indicative of the growing depth of cricket in Afghanistan and their increasing presence on the international stage.
