DUBAI, UAE, July 1 (ANI) — India’s Ishan Kishan has climbed to the top of the ICC Men’s T20I batting rankings, overtaking teammate and opener Abhishek Sharma to become the world’s No. 1 T20I batter.
Kishan achieved a career-high rating to move ahead of Abhishek following India’s recent two-match T20I series against Ireland in Belfast, which India won 2-0. Although neither batter produced big scores in the series, Abhishek followed his 49 in the opening match with a golden duck in the second T20I.
Kishan’s rise to the summit was powered by his outstanding performances at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup earlier this year. The aggressive left-hander amassed 317 runs at a strike rate of nearly 200, earning Player of the Match honors against Pakistan in Colombo and scoring a half-century against New Zealand in the final, according to the ICC.
Kishan is also the leading run-scorer in T20Is this year, compiling 1,147 runs in 30 innings at an average of 38.23 and a strike rate of 190.21, including one century and 10 half-centuries.
Abhishek had held the No. 1 ranking for nearly a year. Kishan now joins an elite group that includes Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav as only the fourth Indian male cricketer to reach the top spot in the ICC T20I batting rankings.
Just seven rating points separate the two Indian batters at the top of the rankings.
Among other movers in the batting rankings, Ireland’s Lorcan Tucker climbed four places to joint 77th, while Ross Adair rose six spots to 84th following solid performances in the Belfast series.
Ireland seamer Matthew Humphreys moved up one place to 25th in the T20I bowling rankings after taking four wickets across the two-match series, achieving a career-best rating.
In the T20I all-rounder rankings, India’s Shivam Dube climbed three places to seventh, while Ireland’s Gareth Delany advanced four spots to 24th and Harry Tector rose eight places to 38th.
The latest ICC Test rankings also featured significant changes following the conclusion of three Test matches around the world.
Australia’s Travis Head reclaimed the No. 1 ranking among Test batters after England’s Harry Brook remained second and Joe Root slipped two places to third following the Nottingham Test against New Zealand.
India’s Jasprit Bumrah strengthened his hold on the No. 1 position in the Test bowling rankings as New Zealand pacer Matt Henry dropped to second.
New Zealand’s victory over England at Trent Bridge boosted several of its players in the batting rankings. Rachin Ravindra climbed two places to seventh, Daryl Mitchell rose five spots to 11th, Devon Conway jumped 14 places to joint 15th, and Tom Latham advanced 12 positions to joint 31st.
New Zealand fast bowler Nathan Smith also made gains, climbing eight places to 38th in the Test bowling rankings.
England captain Ben Stokes moved up two places to third in the Test all-rounder rankings following his mid-match retirement.
West Indies pacers Shamar Joseph and Kemar Roach were also rewarded after their impressive Test victory over Sri Lanka. Joseph climbed nine places to joint 14th in the bowling rankings, while Roach advanced four spots to 17th following their performances in Antigua.
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