(Image source from: AP)
Mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy on Wednesday climbed to the top of the ICC T20 Bowlers' Rankings for the very first time in his career, becoming only the third Indian to reach this milestone. The 34-year-old matched fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi by advancing three ranks after taking 1 wicket for 4 runs against the UAE and 1 wicket for 24 runs against Pakistan. Chakaravarthy, whose highest ranking before this was second place in February 2025, surpassed New Zealand's Jacob Duffy, who had been at number one since March. "India's spinner Varun Chakaravarthy has been recognized for his strong performance in 2025 by becoming the top-ranked bowler in the latest ICC Men's T20I Player Rankings," the ICC mentioned in a statement. Left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav has made a big jump, going up 16 places to 23rd, while spin all-rounder Axar Patel has climbed one spot to 12th. Bumrah has also improved his ranking, going up four spots to 40th.
In the all-rounders' rankings, Hardik Pandya still holds the top position, while Abhishek Sharma has moved up four spots to 14th. Abhishek has also strengthened his spot at the top of the T20 batting rankings. His powerful innings of 30 runs off 16 balls against the UAE and 31 runs off 13 balls against Pakistan have helped him reach a career-high of 884 rating points. His opening partner Shubman Gill has risen four spots to 39th. However, Tilak Varma and captain Suryakumar Yadav have fallen in the rankings. Tilak has dropped two spots to fourth, while Suryakumar has slid down one position to seventh. Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was not selected for the Asia Cup squad, has also dropped two places to 13th. The England opening pair of Phil Salt and Jos Buttler have each moved up one spot to second and third positions, respectively, after their outstanding performances in the second T20 against South Africa in Manchester.
Salt's score of 141 not out off 60 balls, which was the highest score and the fastest T20 century by an England player, has moved him closer to his career-best No. 1 ranking, while Buttler's 83 runs off 30 balls have helped him reach a personal-best of 794 rating points and make his first appearance in the top three.
