Amid Team India’s ongoing horror UK tour, their star batters Ishan Kishan (1st rank) and Abhishek Sharma (2nd rank) have topped the batting charts in the latest T20I rankings.
The two left-handers have featured in all games since the start of the tour, but have failed to guide the team home in any. In five contested matches thus far, one of which was abandoned due to rain, India has lost four games, two to Ireland and as many to England, conceding the series on both occasions. Despite all, the Indian batters continue to dominate the rankings for T20I batters.
Abhishek has been the top scorer across both camps, smashing 112 in three innings, including two fifties. He also scored a fifty against Ireland in the series opener in Belfast. Kishan, on the other hand, has been far from his best, accumulating just 62 runs in three matches against England. He has hit seven fours and just one six at a strike rate of 121.57, whereas Abhishek’s strike rate reads a staggering 203.64.
Even though such numbers are enough for them to retain their spots on the T20I rankings for batters, they were not enough to help India cross the winning line.
Such was the wrath they faced that India lost the recently concluded 3rd T20I in Nottingham by 125 runs – their biggest margin of defeat in this format.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, 15, who replaced Sanju Samson at the top, fell cheaply, with Abhishek and Kishan also failing to help India during the run chase.
Iyer, Bethell among gainers
While the newly-appointed T20I captain Shreyas Iyer was amongst the highest gainers following his 68 in the first T20I and 37 in the second game, jumping an astonishing 425 places to the joint 93rd position, England’s newest star Jacob Bethell jumped seven places to number eight. Bethell starred for England in the second T20I, scoring an unbeaten 76 off 46 balls to beat India by four wickets.
On the other hand, all-rounder Sam Curran enjoyed a productive week by jumping 12 places to 108th position among batters and 12 to 71st in the bowling rankings. His overall exploits helped him jump six places to 13th among the all-rounders.