Afghanistan overtake England in ICC men's ODI team rankings after tri-series triumph

Afghanistan have moved past England in the ICC men's ODI team rankings following their tri-series triumph in the UAE. Afghanistan gained two rating points to climb from eighth to seventh place, while England lost two points after back-to-back defeats to Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi, sliding from sixth to eighth.

The tri-series final was played at Sharjah, where Afghanistan bowled Zimbabwe out for 169. Rashid Khan led the attack with three wickets, and Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mohammad Nabi and Bilal Sami each claimed two wickets.

In reply, Ibrahim Zadran anchored the chase with an unbeaten 70 off 96 balls, hitting four fours and a six. He put on 68 runs with opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who contributed 36, before adding 82 runs for the third wicket alongside captain Rahmat Shah, who made 43. Afghanistan reached the 170-run target in the 35th over to seal the series. Zadran was named player of the match, while Rashid earned the player of the series award for taking 11 wickets across the tournament.

How did the other teams move in the rankings?

Sri Lanka benefited from England's slump and moved up to sixth place in the updated standings. Zimbabwe gained two points for reaching the final of the tri-series but remained in 11th position. Bangladesh, who did not win a single game in the tri-series, lost two points yet retained their ninth-place ranking.

What does Afghanistan's ranking rise mean for the top ten?

Afghanistan's move to seventh represents a notable shift in the top half of the ODI rankings. With 2926 points and a rating of 94 from 31 matches, they now sit just one point behind Sri Lanka in sixth. England, on 93 rating points from 36 matches, have dropped below both sides after their series reverses in Rawalpindi.

The gap between Afghanistan in seventh and West Indies in tenth is now 15 rating points, with Bangladesh in ninth on 81 and West Indies on 79. At the top, India remain clear leaders on a rating of 115, with New Zealand second on 109 and South Africa third on 104. The rankings reflect results from the tri-series in the UAE, where Afghanistan's collective performance across the tournament, capped by Rashid's 11-wicket haul and Zadran's match-winning knock in the final, proved decisive in reshaping the standings.