Dubai, May 20 (IANS) A string of impressive performances in the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 has propelled several Nepal players up the latest ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings.

Nepal secured consecutive victories over the USA and Scotland last week on the road to next year’s ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, with their bowlers leading the way. Experienced all-rounder Dipendra Singh Airee was a standout, claiming a four-wicket haul against the USA.

The 26-year-old’s efforts earned him a jump of three spots to 79th overall on the ODI bowlers’ list, while his all-round performances saw him rise three places to 25th among ODI all-rounders.

Nepal’s spin duo also made gains, with Sandeep Lamichhane moving up six rungs to equal 36th and Lalit Rajbanshi climbing 16 places to equal 53rd on the latest ODI bowlers’ rankings.

Despite these movements, Afghanistan all-rounder Rashid Khan continues to dominate the ODI bowlers’ rankings with a commanding 705 rating points, while his teammate Azmatullah Omarzai remains the No. 1-ranked all-rounder in ODIs.

Scotland’s in-form Brandon McMullen has also made notable progress, moving up two spots to sixth overall in the all-rounder list following a career-best 73 against Nepal. That innings additionally helped McMullen climb six places to 53rd among ODI batters.

Nepal’s batting efforts have not gone unnoticed either, with Saiteja Mukkamalla advancing five spots to 61st and Aasif Sheikh rising seven positions to equal 86th in the updated ODI batters’ rankings.

At the top of the ODI batting charts, New Zealand all-rounder Daryl Mitchell continues to hold the No.1 spot, followed by India’s Virat Kohli. Ibrahim Zadran, Rohit Sharma, and Shubman Gill complete the top five, with a potential shakeup expected when India and Afghanistan clash in the three-match ODI series next month.

Nepal’s recent surge in League 2 underscores the team’s growing competitiveness and the emergence of new talent making their mark on the global stage.

–IANS

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