Babar Azam ended the year 2024 as the No.1 batter in the latest ICC men's ODI rankings on Wednesday, December 25. The star Pakistani batter struggled for consistency throughout the year but achieved a rare milestone after finishing on top in the ODI batting rankings.
The 30-year-old cricketer also finished the previous three years as the No.1 ODI batter, proving his dominance in 50-over cricket with remarkable consistency. He became the first Pakistani cricketer to finish as the No.1 ODI batter for the fourth consecutive year and equalled legendary Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers' in the overall record.
Kohli finished as the No.1 batter in the ICC ODI rankings for four consecutive years from 2017 to 2020 while the former South African captain AB de Villiers was the first cricketer to achieve this feat after dominating the 50-over cricket from 2013-2016.
Most consecutive years as No.1 ODI batter (since 2010)
- AB de Villiers - 4 years ( 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016)
- Virat Kohli - 4 years (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020)
- Babar Azam - 4 years (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
- Hashim Amla - 3 years (2010, 2011, 2012)
Meanwhile, Babar showed glimpses of returning to form by recording two brilliant fifties in his last two ODI innings of 2024. After struggling for runs throughout the year, the former Pakistani captain scored 148 runs in three innings to lead his team to a historic 3-0 ODI series win in South Africa.
Babar scored 228 runs in 6 ODI innings at an average of 57.00 and a strike rate of 76.51 in 2024. He has also struggled for form in T20Is and Test cricket this year and lost his captaincy to Mohammad Rizwan. Babar will be looking to regain his form in red-ball cricket as Pakistan play two away Test games against the Proteas starting on December 26.
