Abhishek Sharma has become the world’s No. 1 T20 international batter in the latest ICC men’s player rankings after scoring a century against New Zealand in the third match of the series. Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan moved to second, while India’s Ishan Kishan fell from first to third after missing the second and third T20Is because of injury.
The update gives India four batters in the top 10, but no Indian features in the top 10 for bowling or all-round performance. The rankings are updated weekly using an ICC system that weighs a player’s performances and the quality of opposition.
Sharma’s century changes the order
Sharma’s promotion followed his hundred in the third T20I against New Zealand. The performance lifted him above Kishan, who had held the top position in the previous update.
Farhan’s rise also came despite his not playing since October 13. His move to second was helped by Kishan’s absence from the latter two matches of the New Zealand series, according to the ranking details reported by Dainik Bhaskar.
"Sharma’s rise reflects immediate form, while Kishan’s slide shows how missed matches can quickly alter a weekly ranking."
| Key Metric / Entity | Verified Detail | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Abhishek Sharma | No. 1 T20 batter after a century against New Zealand | Establishes him as India’s leading batter in the latest rankings |
| Sahibzada Farhan | No. 2; last played on October 13 | Benefits from Kishan’s missed matches and ranking movement |
| Ishan Kishan | Dropped from No. 1 to No. 3 after missing two T20Is | Injury absence affected his latest rating position |
| India’s T20 batting presence | Four Indian batters in the top 10 | Shows strong depth in the batting rankings |
| India’s top-ranked T20 bowler | Axar Patel at No. 11 | No Indian bowler is currently in the top 10 |
Series Century — verified documentary press visual.
India’s bowling gap remains visible
India has no bowler in the latest T20 top 10. Axar Patel slipped one place to 11th, Arshdeep Singh is 15th and Jasprit Bumrah is 27th; Axar and Arshdeep are playing the New Zealand series, while Bumrah has been rested.
Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan remains the No. 1 T20 bowler, followed by Australia’s Adam Zampa and England’s Adil Rashid. The latest ranking also leaves India without a top-10 all-rounder.
Hardik Pandya remains India’s highest-ranked all-rounder at No. 13 with 184 rating points. Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza leads that list, with Pakistan’s Saim Ayub second.
Jansen reaches two Test No. 1 positions
The same ICC update brought a major change in the Test rankings. South Africa’s Marco Jansen became the top-ranked Test bowler and Test all-rounder for the first time in his career.
Jansen scored 85 and took five wickets in the first innings of the second Test against Australia, helping South Africa level the series. He climbed five places among bowlers to move ahead of Mitchell Starc and displaced Ravindra Jadeja at the top of the all-rounders’ list after Jadeja had held that position for more than four years.
How the next ranking updates will work
The ICC releases men’s player rankings every Wednesday and women’s player rankings every Tuesday. Team rankings are updated after each match, while player positions can change with performances, match participation and the strength of the opposition.
For Sharma, the next matches will determine whether he can hold the summit. Kishan’s return from injury and Farhan’s future appearances will also shape the next update, making the current order a measure of recent form rather than a permanent ranking.
