Babar, Rizwan maintain spots in ICC T20I rankings

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday issued the T20I rankings which saw no change in the ranks of Pakistan's top-order batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.

Babar and Rizwan are ranked fourth and fifth with ratings of 755 and 746, respectively. Australia’s Travis Head sits atop the rankings of batters.

The updated rankings saw a phenomenal rise of Indian players who recently played a five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe which they won 4-1.

After the Zimbabwe series, India’s Suryakumar Yadav improved his ranking to be the second-highest-ranked batter with 799 ratings. Indian skipper Shubman Gill scored 170 runs in five innings to improve 36 places to go to the 37th spot. He surpassed Rohit Sharma (42nd) and Virat Kohli (51st) who recently retired from T20Is after winning the T20 World Cup 2024.

Moreover, India's Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad are ranked 6th and 8th, respectively.

Meanwhile, in the bowler’s T20I rankings, Zimbabwe pacer Blessing Muzarabani improved 11 places to move to 44th after taking six wickets during the India T20I series. On the other hand, India’s Washington Sundar (up 36 spots to 46th) and Mukesh Kumar (up 21 rungs to 73rd) improved their ranks as well.

England spinner Adil Rashid remained in the No.1 spot for T20I bowlers, while South Africa’s Anrich Nortje and Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga occupied second and third places respectively.

In the Test’s rankings, England recorded an impressive 114-run and an innings victory which helped some of their players improve their ranks.

“There was also some movement on the updated Test rankings, with a host of England players the biggest climbers following their efforts in dispatching of the West Indies with ease at Lord's,” the ICC said.

“Ben Stokes' side cruised to victory by an innings and 114 runs over the Caribbean side in London and four of their best performers with the bat gained some ground on the list for Test batters.

“Harry Brook gains three places to move to seventh behind No.1 ranked Kiwi Kane Williamson, while top-order batters Zak Crawley (up three spots to 13th) and Ollie Pope (up three places to 29th) also gain some ground after good scores in the nation's capital.

“There is also some good news for the two players that debuted at Lord's, with wicket-keeper Jamie Smith joining the batting rankings at 75th following his half-century against the West Indies and impressive pacer Gus Atkinson coming in at 52nd on the list for Test bowlers after his 12-wicket haul on debut.”