The ICC ODI Rankings of 2026 have been highly positive for Nepal cricket followers since many of their players made some huge gains after putting up an excellent show in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2. The back-to-back wins by Nepal against the USA and Scotland were instrumental in improving the ranking of their key players.
Simultaneously, Indian cricket remains dominant in the world of ODI batting rankings with their three key batsmen making it into the top five in the world.
Dipendra Singh Airee Shines in ICC ODI Rankings
Nepali all-rounder Dipendra Singh Airee became one of the most significant gainers in the recent ODI rankings update by ICC. He performed well for his team against the USA in the recently played match, getting four wickets.
Due to his remarkable performance, Airee was able to climb three positions in the ODI bowlers’ rankings, making it to 79th place.
Moreover, his performance helped him to improve his standing in the ODI all-rounders’ rankings by climbing three places to 25th place. His consistent performances will be helpful in the efforts of the team to qualify for the next ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Sandeep Lamichhane and Lalit Rajbanshi Register Big Improvements
The spin attack of Nepal was also quite successful in the latest ICC ODI Rankings. Young and talented leg spinner Sandeep Lamichhane climbed six places and entered into a joint 36th position amongst ODI bowlers. The rise of left-arm spinner Lalit Rajbanshi was more significant as he rose sixteen places to get into a joint 53rd position.
This exceptional bowling by the spinners was the reason for recent wins for Nepal and showed how strong Nepal cricket has become internationally.
However, despite these alterations, Afghan spinner Rashid Khan is still at number one in ODI bowling with 705 rating points. His teammate, Azmatullah Omarzai, holds the number one position in ODI all-rounders rankings.
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Brandon McMullen Climbs After Match-Winning Knock
Another Scotland all-rounder who got a huge boost in the newly released ICC ODI Rankings is Brandon McMullen.
Following his excellent career-best knock of 73 runs against Nepal, McMullen moved up two positions in the ODI all-rounder rankings, reaching the sixth position overall.
The excellent batting performance from the Scotland all-rounder saw him move up six places in the ODI batting rankings to the 53rd position overall.
Nepali Batters Continue Their Rise
The batting side of Nepal has also made progress in the recent ICC ODI Rankings. Saiteja Mukkamalla gained five places to achieve the position of 61st in the ODI batting ranking.
On the other hand, Aasif Sheikh, a Nepalese wicket-keeper batter, improved his rank by seven places to get the 86th position. Such positive changes indicate the rising strength of Nepal in international ODI cricket.
Three Indian Players Feature in ICC ODI Rankings Top 5
ODI batting ranks remain under the control of some of the prominent figures in the game of cricket all around the world. Daryl Mitchell from New Zealand is currently at the top of the ODI batting ranks list.
Three Indian cricketers have continued to impress in this category of rankings as follows:
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Virat Kohli – 2nd
Rohit Sharma – 4th
Shubman Gill – 5th
The third rank among the ODI batting rankings goes to the Afghanistan opener Ibrahim Zadran.
ICC ODI Rankings Highlight Nepal’s Rapid Growth
The recently released ICC ODI rankings reflect the steady progress made by Nepal in the world of cricket. The impressive gains made by the likes of Dipendra Singh Airee, Sandeep Lamichhane, and Lalit Rajbanshi make it the right time to go for a World Cup berth.
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