India’s Abhishek Sharma has made history in the ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings, setting a new all-time high for batting rating points after a sensational run in the Asia Cup 2025 held in the United Arab Emirates.
The 25-year-old left-hander reached 931 rating points, surpassing the previous record of 919 held by England’s Dawid Malan since 2020. Abhishek’s milestone came after a series of standout performances, including a 61-run knock against Sri Lanka and a 75-run innings against Bangladesh.
He finished the tournament with 926 rating points, putting him a massive 82 points clear of second-ranked Phil Salt of England. This dominant performance not only solidified Abhishek’s status as a top T20I batter but also marked a major milestone in Indian cricket’s modern era.
Tilak Varma, Nissanka also rise in T20I rankings
Tilak Varma climbed 28 rating points following unbeaten scores of 49 (vs Sri Lanka) and 69 (vs Pakistan), maintaining his third position in the rankings. Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka, who smashed a century against India, entered the top five for the first time.
Other notable risers in the T20I batting rankings include:
- Sahibzada Farhan (Pakistan) – up 11 places to 13th
- Sanju Samson (India) – up eight places to 31st
- Saif Hassan (Bangladesh) – up 45 places to 36th
Bowling rankings: Kuldeep, Shaheen, and Bumrah gain ground
Kuldeep Yadav, India’s left-arm wrist spinner, climbed nine spots to reach 12th position after claiming four wickets in the final against Pakistan. Shaheen Shah Afridi, Pakistan’s left-arm pacer, jumped 12 places to 13th.
Other bowlers making upward moves:
- Rishad Hossain (Bangladesh) – up 6 places to 20th
- Jasprit Bumrah (India) – up 12 places to 29th
- Mohammad Nawaz (Pakistan) – up 5 places to 41st
Saim Ayub becomes top-ranked T20I all-rounder
Saim Ayub has claimed the No. 1 spot in the ICC T20I all-rounder rankings for the first time, overtaking Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe), Deependra Airee (Nepal), Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan), and Hardik Pandya (India).
Airee retained fourth position but increased his rating to 214 points, 27 behind Ayub. He also jumped 10 slots to 72nd among bowlers. Additional gains for Nepal came as a result of their historic T20I series win over the West Indies:
- Lalit Rajbanshi – up 6 places to 51st (bowling)
- Aasif Sheikh – up 3 places to 77th (batting)
The latest ICC rankings highlight the shifting power dynamics in T20I cricket, with India and Pakistan producing top performers across batting, bowling, and all-rounder categories — and emerging nations like Nepal making historic strides.
