Stylish Indian batter Suryakumar Yadav moved one position ahead to attain a career-best-equalling second position, closing the gap on No 1 Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan in the latest ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings, released on Wednesday.
In the latest weekly update that considers performances in the second and third matches of the India-Australia series, Suryakumar is at second position with 801 rating points after smashing a match-winning 69 off 36 deliveries in the third T20I in Hyderabad on Sunday that helped the hosts clinch the series 2-1.
On the other hand, Pakistan opener Rizwan has retained his top spot in the batting charts after his brilliant displays in the ongoing seven-match series against England.
The 30-year-old Rizwan has notched up scores of 88 not out, 8, and 88 in the second, third and fourth T20Is against England, helping him maintain his position at the top. His performances helped Pakistan win the second and the fourth T20Is, with the series level at 2-2 heading into Wednesday’s fifth match.
Meanwhile, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has moved up a slot to take the third position. Babar, who had occupied the No.1 position for 1,155 days before being overtaken by team-mate Mohammad Rizwan early this month, was named Player of the Match for an unbeaten 110 in the second T20I of their ongoing seven-match series against England.
He followed it up with scores of eight and 36 in the third and fourth matches, which were also played over the past week.
India captain Rohit Sharma has inched up one place to 13th position after scores of 46 not out and 17 while Matthew Wade (up six places to 62nd), Cameron Green (up 31 places to 67th), and Tim David (up 202 places to 109th) are the Australia players to move up the rankings. Green and David had notched half-centuries in the final match of the series.
India spinner Axar Patel, who emerged as the leading wicket-taker in the series against Australia, has raised his ranking by 15 places, to No 18, with his showings of 2/13 and 3/33 in the final two matches. His bowling partner Yuzvendra Chahal (up from 28th to 26th) has moved up the bowlers’ list, which continues to be led by Australia fast bowler Josh Hazlewood.
England batter Harry Brook’s scores of 31, 81 not out, and 34 in Pakistan have lifted him 118 places to 29th position while Ben Ducket has soared eight places to 32nd position after scoring 43, 70 not out, and 33 in those three matches.
Reece Topley is up 14 places to 23rd and is the third third-highest ranked England bowler after Adil Rashid and Chris Jordan while Pakistan speedster Haris Rauf is up seven places to 14th position after taking five wickets in the last three matches. Mark Wood (up 29 places to 40th) and Sam Curran (up five places to 47th) have also progressed.
In the ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings that considers performances in five matches of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 in Port Moresby, Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus has moved up 38 places to joint-49th after scoring 49 against Papua New Guinea (PNG) while USA captain Monank Patel has advanced three places to 53rd in the batters’ list.
Left-arm fast bowlers Saurabh Netravalkar (up one place to 40th) of the USA and Chad Soper (up two places to 47th) of PNG have advanced among bowlers.
