Young Ireland cricketer Harry Tector has made it to the top-10 in the latest ICC men’s ODI batting rankings following his career-best 140 in the second match of the 50-over series against Bangladesh in Chelmsford. The 23-year-old ended the series as the leading run-getter with 206 runs from three games and is placed seventh, having displaced India’s Virat Kohli and South Africa’s Quinton de Kock, who have dropped one place each to eighth and ninth respectively.
India and Gujarat Titans opener Shubman Gill continues to hold the No. 5 position in the rankings, which is led by Pakistan captain Babar Azam. Tector seventh place on the rankings, following a jump of 72 rating points, is the best by an Ireland batter.
The right-handed batter’s new rating of 722 points is also the highest an Ireland male batter has ever achieved in ODI cricket.
1. Babar Azam – 886 points
2. Rassie van der Dussen – 777 points
3. Fakhar Zaman – 755 points
4. Imam-ul-Haq – 745 points
5. Shubman Gill – 738 points
6. David Warner – 726 points
7. Harry Tector – 722 points
8. Virat Kohli – 719 points
9. Quinton de Kock – 718 points
10. Rohit Sharma – 707 points
Besides, Kohli and de Kock, Tector is also ahead of India all-format captain Rohit Sharma (10th), Australia’s Steve Smith (11th) and Jos Buttler (15th). Former England skipper Eoin Morgan reached 712 points in 2019 but by that time he was playing for England. Among Irish players, the highest was Paul Stirling, who reached 697 points in June 2021.
Tector will get an opportunity to further improve his ranking when Ireland take part in the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe in June-July.
Former Australia cricketer Tom Moody believes Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) find themselves in this situation due to the losses they suffered halfway through the competition. The team has been running hot and cold in its campaign during IPL 2023 which impacted them.
Speaking on Star Sports’ Cricket Live, Tom Moody said, “RCB’s form has tapered off through the halfway stage, they started well but lost steam in the second phase. So they need to pull up their socks and go full throttle in the remaining games. They have a player like Virat Kohli, who will do everything in his potential to help RCB stay in the playoffs race.”
Former India cricketer Yusuf Pathan highlighted the lack of teamwork in RCB’s campaign this year and the team once again looked heavily dependent upon KGF (Kohli, Maxwell and Faf).
“RCB will have to play as a team. Now is not the time that RCB should focus on just three players (Kohli, Maxwell and Faf). Now every player will have to come forward and fulfil his responsibility,” Yusuf Pathan told Star Sports.
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