Afghanistan have climbed to sixth in the ICC Men's ODI Team Rankings, their highest position in the format. They moved ahead of Sri Lanka, with both sides on 94 rating points. The rise follows a 4-0 series win over Ireland and reflects steady progress since their ODI debut in 2009.
Afghanistan's Historic Rise in the ICC ODI Rankings
The latest update on the ICC website places Afghanistan in the top six for the first time. Sri Lanka, who previously held sixth place by a narrow points margin, now sit behind them.
Afghanistan have also moved past England, Bangladesh and the West Indies. England dropped from seventh to eighth after a run of disappointing results.
Current ICC Men's ODI Team Rankings Snapshot
| Position | Team | Rating Points |
|---|
| 1 | India | 115 |
| 2 | New Zealand | 109 |
| 3 | South Africa | Level with Pakistan |
| 4 | Pakistan | Level with South Africa |
| 5 | Australia | 102 |
| 6 | Afghanistan | 94 |
| Behind Afghanistan | Sri Lanka | 94 |
| 8 | England | 93 |
| Below England | Bangladesh | 81 |
| Below Bangladesh | West Indies | 79 |
Afghanistan and Sri Lanka are separated only by a fractional points difference. The gap to fifth-placed Australia stands at eight points.
Ireland Series: A 4-0 Result Built on Batting Depth
Afghanistan's ranking gain was driven by a 4-0 series win over Ireland. The results show they could win while batting first and while chasing.
Match-by-Match Results
| Match | Venue | Result |
|---|
| 2nd ODI | Bready | Won by 92 runs |
| 3rd ODI | Belfast | Won by three wickets |
| 4th ODI | Not specified | Scored 343/9, won by 42 runs |
| 5th ODI | Not specified | Won while chasing |
Two of the four results with a stated margin came by runs and one by wickets. The fifth was a successful chase, so the side has shown balance across both innings roles.
Key Batting Performances and Strike Rate Context
Sediqullah Atal finished as the leading run-scorer with 313 runs. Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat Shah also made centuries in the decisive games.
Standout Innings Compared
| Batter | Match | Score | Balls | Approx. Strike Rate |
|---|
| Sediqullah Atal | 4th ODI | 143 | 120 | 119.2 |
| Sediqullah Atal | 5th ODI | 98 | 112 | 87.5 |
| Ibrahim Zadran | 4th ODI | 107 | 118 | 90.7 |
| Rahmat Shah | 5th ODI | 143* | 133 | 107.5 |
Atal's 143 included 17 fours and four sixes, so 94 of his runs came in boundaries. His two big innings produced 241 of his 313 series runs, leaving 72 from his remaining innings.
Rahmat Shah's unbeaten 143 was the decisive innings of the final match. Rashid Khan was named Player of the Series despite playing only three matches.
Long-Term ODI Record and Individual Rankings
Afghanistan have won 96 of their 191 ODI matches, a win rate of about 50.3 percent and a win-loss ratio of 1.09. Few sides with their short history in the format have reached parity this quickly.
| Metric | Value |
|---|
| ODI matches played | 191 |
| ODI wins | 96 |
| Win-loss ratio | 1.09 |
| Approx. win percentage | 50.3% |
| ODI debut | 2009 |
Rashid Khan holds the top spot among ODI bowlers. Azmatullah Omarzai leads the all-rounders' rankings.
Major Tournament Context
Afghanistan beat Pakistan and Sri Lanka at the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup. They also reached the semi-final of the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup, so the ranking gain follows several years of competitive results against established teams.
T20I Form and the Test Series Ahead
Afghanistan also completed a 3-0 T20I whitewash of Zimbabwe, winning the final match in Sharjah by seven wickets. Noor Ahmad was the standout bowler, and Zimbabwe were bowled out for 79 in under 15 overs.
The team now turns to a two-match Test series against Zimbabwe. A strong result there would extend their winning run across formats. In the ODI rankings, the margin over Sri Lanka and England is small, so Afghanistan will need to keep winning to hold sixth place.