Pakistan batsman Babar Azam has dropped out of the top five in the ICC ODI rankings for the first time in six years. In the latest rankings released on Wednesday, November 12, Babar slipped to No. 7, with India’s Virat Kohli and Sri Lanka’s Charith Asalanka moving to No. 5 and No. 6 respectively.
Babar last finished outside the top five during the 2019 Men’s World Cup in England and Wales. The 31-year-old’s recent dip in form has seen him score just 74 runs at an average of 18.50 in his last four ODIs with scores of 7, 11, 27 and 29.
It is now 83 innings since Babar last scored a century – his previous hundred came against Nepal in the 2023 Asia Cup, equaling Virat Kohli’s record most consecutive innings without a century in international cricket. Among Asian batsmen, Sanath Jayasuriya leads the list, ending a similar drought after 87 innings.
Elsewhere in the ODI batting rankings, Pakistan’s T20I captain Salman Ali Agha climbed 14 places to 16th after winning the match against Sri Lanka’s Charith Asalanka in Rawalpindi on Tuesday (November 11).
A MIXED BAG FOR BABAR
Salman, 31, scored an unbeaten 105 off 87 balls to guide Pakistan to a narrow six-run victory and a 1-0 lead in the series. He was also rewarded in the all-round rankings, rising seven places to 11th in the world.
As for Babar, he was dismissed by Wanindu Hasaranga who dropped him with a googly. Later, however, he had sa in the match stunning catch to remove Sadeer Samarawickram.
Samarawickrama edged a delivery from Haris Rauf as he nudged one outside off stump and the ball flew to the right where Babar extended his right hand to complete a spectacular one-handed catch. The ball almost missed him, but he managed to catch it brilliantly.
Babar, who recently crossed 15,000 international runs and became the all-time leading run-scorer in T20Is, will now be hoping to regain his batting form.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
November 12, 2025
