AB de Villiers becomes top ranked batsman in ODIs

Dubai, March 10 (IANS) South Africas star batsman AB de Villiers on Friday regained the top spot in the ICC player rankings for One-Day International batsmen after leading the list of run-scorers in the recent series against New Zealand.

De Villiers's 262 runs in the series, including a highest of 85 in the third ODI at Wellington, have helped him overtake Australia opener David Warner at the top of the ladder, reclaiming the top spot within two months of losing it to India captain Virat Kohli, according to the International Cricket Council's (ICC) statement.

The 33-year-old batsman is on 875 points, four points ahead of Warner and 23 clear of Kohli.

Among other batsmen, England's Joe Root and Alex Hales are major gainers as they have reached career-best rankings.

Root has reached fourth spot after scoring 195 runs including 101 in the final match in Bridgetown against West Indies while Hales, who knocked up 110 in the same match, his fifth century in the last 20 ODIs, has gained four spots to reach 16th position.

Other batsmen to make upward movement include the New Zealand pair of Martin Guptill (up two places to seventh rank) and Ross Taylor (up two places to 14th).

In the bowlers rankings, South Africa's Imran Tahir led the table while his team-mate Kagiso Rabada has broken into the top five for the first time after taking eight wickets in four matches against New Zealand.

Rabada has leapfrogged England's Josh Hazlewood and Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan.

England all-rounder Chris Woakes's seven wickets against the West Indies helped him break into the top 10 for the first time as he has moved up nine places to ninth slot while his team-mate Liam Plunkett's 10 wickets in the series have helped him move up 36 places to 23rd rank.

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