Ishan Kishan Claims Top Spot in T20I Rankings
Ishan Kishan has achieved the status of the world’s leading T20I batter, surpassing his fellow Indian teammate Abhishek Sharma, as per the latest ICC Men’s T20I batting rankings.
Kishan’s new career-high rating comes after India’s recent two-match T20I series against Ireland in Belfast, where the hosts emerged victorious with a 2-0 series win. Despite this, Abhishek struggled, notably scoring a golden duck in the final match after a solid 49 in the first T20I.
Kishan’s ascent to the top is attributed to his remarkable performance during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup earlier this year, where he amassed 317 runs at an impressive strike rate nearing 200. This included a standout ‘Player of the Match’ performance against Pakistan in Colombo and a half-century in the final against New Zealand, according to ICC reports.
This year, Ishan leads the T20I run charts with 1,147 runs from 30 innings, averaging 38.23 and boasting a strike rate of 190.21, which includes one century and ten fifties. Abhishek had maintained the top ranking for nearly a year, while Kishan joins an elite group of four Indian players, including Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav, who have held the top position in T20I cricket.
T20I Ranking Updates
The gap between the two Indian players at the top of the T20I rankings is a mere seven rating points. Additionally, Ireland’s Lorcan Tucker has moved up four places to tie for 77th, while Ross Adair has climbed six spots to 84th, thanks to their commendable performances in Belfast.
In the T20I bowlers’ rankings, Matthew Humphreys has achieved a new career-high rating, moving up one position to 25th after taking four wickets in the series. India’s Shivam Dube has also made progress, rising three spots to seventh, while Ireland’s Gareth Delany and Harry Tector have moved up to 24th and 38th, respectively, in the T20I all-rounders’ rankings.
Significant Changes in Test Rankings
The latest Test rankings have seen considerable shifts following the conclusion of three Tests worldwide. Australia’s Travis Head has taken the No. 1 spot among Test batters, while Harry Brook and Joe Root have dropped to second and third, respectively, after underwhelming performances in the Nottingham Test against New Zealand. Jasprit Bumrah now holds the top position among Test bowlers, with New Zealand’s Matt Henry falling to second.
The Black Caps’ victory at Trent Bridge has bolstered their ICC World Test Championship prospects, with several players making significant gains in the Test batters’ rankings. Rachin Ravindra has moved up two spots to seventh, Daryl Mitchell has climbed five places to 11th, Devon Conway has jumped 14 rungs to tie for 15th, and Tom Latham has advanced 12 slots to tie for 31st.
In the Test bowlers’ rankings, Kiwi pacer Nathan Smith has risen eight places to 38th. Meanwhile, England captain Ben Stokes has improved two positions to finish his international career ranked third among Test all-rounders after his mid-match retirement. Additionally, two West Indies bowlers, Shamar Joseph and Kemar Roach, have made notable progress following their impressive Test victory over Sri Lanka.