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India‘s Varun Chakravarthy has claimed the top spot in the ICC Men’s T20I bowling rankings after impressive performances in the ongoing Asia Cup held in the UAE. Chakravarthy delivered tight spells of 1 for 4 against the UAE and 1 for 24 versus Pakistan, becoming the third Indian bowler to reach number one following Jasprit Bumrah and Ravi Bishnoi. At 34, Chakravarthy surpassed New Zealand‘s Jacob Duffy, who had held the leading position since March. Sri Lanka‘s pace bowler Nuwan Thushara also enjoyed a rise, moving up six places to sixth after taking key wickets in his Asia Cup matches.
Varun Chakravarthy rises to the top of rankings
Chakravarthy’s rise to the summit highlights his skillful wrist-spin and ability to maintain economy under pressure, crucial in the shortest format. This achievement marks a significant milestone for India’s spin attack in T20 cricket. Other notable movers include Pakistan’s left-arm wristspinner Sufiyan Muqeem who climbed four spots to 11th, and India’s left-arm spinner Axar Patel advancing to 12th. Pakistan’s legspinner Abrar Ahmed jumped 11 places to 16th while Kuldeep Yadav made a remarkable leap of 16 positions to 23rd. Afghanistan’s Noor Ahmad also featured prominently, ranked 25th after the latest ICC update, reflecting the growing competition in T20 bowling ranks across Asia.
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Abhishek Sharma stays firm at the summit
India opener Abhishek Sharma maintained his hold on the number one T20I batter ranking by delivering aggressive innings in the Asia Cup, scoring 30 off 16 balls against UAE and 31 off 13 balls versus Pakistan. England’s openers Phil Salt and Jos Buttler climbed to second and third in the rankings respectively, propelled by Salt’s unbeaten 141 off 60 balls — England’s highest T20I score and fastest century — and Buttler’s 83 off 30 runs during England’s record 304 for 2 against South Africa at Old Trafford. Notably, this marks Buttler’s debut in the top three of the ICC T20I batting charts, underlining England’s batting firepower.
This latest ICC rankings update reflects the dynamic nature of T20 cricket with noteworthy performances influencing both bowling and batting positions globally. India’s prominence with Chakravarthy and Abhishek at the top demonstrates their depth and skill in the format as the Asia Cup progresses.
