Zimbabwe cricket star Sikandar Raza has risen to the top of the world, officially crowned the No. 1 allrounder in ICC ODI rankings for the first time in his career. The milestone comes after a stellar performance in the recent two-match series against Sri Lanka in Harare, where Raza scored 92 runs in the first match and followed it up with an unbeaten 59, while also contributing with the ball.

His consistency and match-winning displays saw him leapfrog Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai and veteran Mohammad Nabi, who now sit in second and third place, respectively.

Reacting to the news, Raza shared a heartfelt message on his X (formerly Twitter) page:
“Firstly Alhamdulillah, now the emotions have settled I would like to thank Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Cricket and Zimbabweans for their unwavering love, support and prayers as without it this dream of mine wouldn’t have been possible. To my teammates past and present of national team and franchise cricket, this wouldn’t have been possible without the lessons you all shared. To my family and fans all across the globe for the prayers and support I have had over the years. Always Alhamdulillah.”

At 39 years old, Raza’s journey is one of resilience and inspiration. Born in Pakistan, he made his international debut for Zimbabwe in 2013 and has since become the heartbeat of the team. Known for his explosive batting and crafty off-spin, he is also the first Zimbabwean to score a T20I century, cementing his status as one of the nation’s greatest cricket ambassadors.

Raza’s rise to No. 1 is not just a personal triumph, but also a proud moment for Zimbabwean cricket, proving that perseverance and passion can elevate players from any corner of the globe to the very top of the sport.