Abhishek Sharma makes massive gain in ICC T20I rankings

India’s explosive  opener, Abhishek Sharma, has made a significant leap in the latest ICC Men’s T20I batting rankings following his stunning performance in the T20I series against England.

Sharma, a left-handed batter, made history in the final T20I match, scoring a blistering 54-ball 135. This remarkable knock not only led India to a victory but also set several records. Sharma recorded the highest individual score by an Indian batter in men’s T20Is, smashing 13 sixes during his innings. 

He reached his century in just 37 balls, making it the second-fastest T20I century by an Indian player. Thanks to this incredible performance, Sharma jumped 38 places to secure the second spot in the latest ICC Men’s T20I batting rankings. He now sits behind Australia’s Travis Head, who leads with 855 rating points.

As a result of Sharma’s rise, his teammate Tilak Verma dropped to third in the rankings, while Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav remains in the fifth spot.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s star batters, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, both dropped one spot. Babar now occupies seventh place, and Rizwan is in ninth.

In the ICC Men’s T20I bowling rankings, there were notable shifts as well. India’s Varun Chakravarthy made a significant move, climbing three places to joint second, while West Indies' Akeal Hosein reclaimed the top position. Ravi Bishnoi also saw a rise, moving up four places to sixth after his impressive five-wicket haul against England in the recently concluded T20I series.

In the ICC Test rankings, Australia’s players saw a boost following their dominant performance against Sri Lanka in the first Test. Stand-in captain Steve Smith jumped three places to reach fifth, while opening batter Usman Khawaja climbed six spots to take the 11th position after scoring a career-best 232 in the match.

Australia’s bowlers also experienced upward movements. Experienced spinner Nathan Lyon moved up two places to sixth, while left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc rose two spots to 12th in the rankings.