His rank is unusual for a deity (7)
I believe the answer is:
krishna
'for a deity' is the definition.
(Krishna is an example)
'his rank is unusual' is the wordplay.
'is unusual' indicates an anagram.
'his'+'rank'='hisrank'
'hisrank' with letters rearranged gives 'KRISHNA'.
(Other definitions for krishna that I've seen before include "I shrank from Hindu god, avatar of Vishnu" , "Most celebrated of Hindu deities" , "Hare ..., religious sect whose devotees wear saffron robes" , "divine figure" , "Most important avatar of Vishnu" .)