India’s wristspinner Varun Chakravarthy has climbed to the top of the ICC men’s T20I bowling rankings after strong Asia Cup performances. He picked up 1 for 4 against UAE and 1 for 24 against Pakistan in the UAE, becoming the third Indian bowler to reach the No. 1 spot after Jasprit Bumrah and Ravi Bishnoi. At 34, Chakravarthy overtook New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy, who had held the top position since March.
The latest ICC update also brought changes for several other bowlers. Sri Lanka quick Nuwan Thushara moved up six places to sixth after his early Asia Cup contributions. Pakistan’s left-arm wristspinner Sufiyan Muqeem climbed four spots to 11th, while India’s Axar Patel rose one position to 12th. Pakistan legspinner Abrar Ahmed surged 11 places to 16th, Kuldeep Yadav advanced 16 ranks to 23rd, and Afghanistan’s Noor Ahmad entered the top 25.
In batting, India opener Abhishek Sharma solidified his status as the No. 1 ranked T20I batter. His quick-fire 30 off 16 balls against UAE and 31 off 13 against Pakistan showcased his consistency at the top.
England’s openers also made gains after their record-breaking performance against South Africa at Old Trafford. Phil Salt hammered an unbeaten 141 off 60 balls, the highest T20I score by an England player and the fastest century by an English batter. Captain Jos Buttler smashed 83 off just 30 balls as England piled up 304 for 2, their highest T20I total. The knocks lifted Salt and Buttler to second and third place respectively in the rankings, with Buttler entering the top three for the first time in his career.
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