Afghanistan have moved up to seventh in the ICC men's ODI team rankings after winning the tri-series in the UAE. They gained two rating points and overtook England, who fell to eighth after back-to-back defeats in Rawalpindi. Afghanistan now sit on 94 rating points, one behind sixth-placed Sri Lanka.
Afghanistan Overtake England in the ODI Rankings
Afghanistan climbed from eighth to seventh after adding two rating points from the tri-series. They now have 2,926 points from 31 matches.
England lost two points after defeats to Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi. They dropped from sixth to eighth and are on 93 rating points from 36 matches.
Ranking movement after the tri-series| Team | Previous Position | New Position | Rating Change |
|---|
| Afghanistan | 8th | 7th | +2 |
| England | 6th | 8th | -2 |
| Sri Lanka | 7th | 6th | Moved up one place |
| Zimbabwe | 11th | 11th | +2 |
| Bangladesh | 9th | 9th | -2 |
Sri Lanka benefited from England's slump and moved into sixth. Zimbabwe gained two points for reaching the final but stayed 11th. Bangladesh did not win a game in the tri-series, lost two points and kept ninth place.
Tri-Series Final: How Afghanistan Sealed the Title
The final in Sharjah was a low-scoring contest. Afghanistan bowled Zimbabwe out for 169 and then reached the 170-run target in the 35th over.
Rashid Khan took three wickets in the final. Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mohammad Nabi and Bilal Sami each took two.
Rashid finished with 11 wickets across the tournament and won the player of the series award. The wickets were spread across four bowlers in the final, which limited Zimbabwe's partnerships.
Afghanistan bowling highlights in the final| Bowler | Wickets |
|---|
| Rashid Khan | 3 |
| Fazalhaq Farooqi | 2 |
| Mohammad Nabi | 2 |
| Bilal Sami | 2 |
Zadran Anchors the Chase
Ibrahim Zadran scored an unbeaten 70 off 96 balls, with four fours and a six. His strike rate was about 72.9, which suited a chase of 170.
He added 68 for the opening stand with Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who made 36. He then added 82 for the third wicket with captain Rahmat Shah, who made 43. Zadran was named player of the match.
Key batting contributions in the chase| Batter | Runs | Detail |
|---|
| Ibrahim Zadran | 70* | 96 balls, 4 fours, 1 six |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz | 36 | 68-run opening stand |
| Rahmat Shah | 43 | 82-run third-wicket stand |
Updated ICC Men's ODI Team Rankings: Top 10
The top five teams are separated by 13 rating points, while the gap between sixth and eighth is only two. The table below shows the top 10 after the update.
ICC men's ODI team rankings, top 10| Position | Team | Matches | Points | Rating |
|---|
| 1 | India | 36 | 4122 | 115 |
| 2 | New Zealand | 35 | 3809 | 109 |
| 3 | South Africa | 34 | 3547 | 104 |
| 4 | Pakistan | 34 | 3505 | 103 |
| 5 | Australia | 35 | 3568 | 102 |
| 6 | Sri Lanka | 41 | 3896 | 95 |
| 7 | Afghanistan | 31 | 2926 | 94 |
| 8 | England | 36 | 3331 | 93 |
| 9 | Bangladesh | 41 | 3304 | 81 |
| 10 | West Indies | 37 | 2924 | 79 |
Gaps That Define the Table
India lead on 115, six points clear of New Zealand on 109. South Africa are third on 104.
Afghanistan in seventh are 15 rating points ahead of West Indies in tenth. Bangladesh in ninth are on 81, which leaves a 12-point gap between England in eighth and Bangladesh.
What the Ranking Rise Means for Afghanistan
Afghanistan have played only 31 matches, fewer than Sri Lanka (41) and England (36). Their 94 rating comes from a smaller sample, so each result has a larger effect on their position.
The gap to Sri Lanka is one rating point, so sixth place is within reach. England are one point behind Afghanistan, so the order of seventh and eighth could change again with the next series.
The rise rests on a tournament-wide record: 11 wickets from Rashid and a controlled chase in the final.