Virat Kohli has moved back up inside the top ten of the batting charts in the latest ICC men’s T20I rankings, while Devon Conway cuts the gap to Mohammad Rizwan at the top.
Before his unbeaten 82 in India’s incredible final-ball victory over Pakistan in Group Two of the 2022 T20 World Cup, Kohli had been down to 13th in the table, having been struggling for runs before this year’s Asia Cup. The India legend’s match-winning 53-ball knock, however, has seen him jump five places, back into the top ten after slipping down the table earlier this year.
Kohli’s knock against Pakistan will go down as one of the greatest T20I innings of all time and was the highest-ever score for India in T20Is against Pakistan. With India having been 31-4 chasing 160 for victory, Kohli timed his innings perfectly, hitting four sixes and six fours to give India the victory. It was yet another glorious innings chasing for Kohli, who averages a whopping 270.50 batting second in T20 World Cups. He now has 636 points in the ICC rankings and is nine points clear of tenth-placed Muhammad Waseem.
Rizwan remains the top-ranked T20I batter in the world but has lost ground to Devon Conway after the New Zealand opener’s unbeaten 92 against Australia in the opening match of the Super 12. Conway hit nine boundaries in his 58-ball innings which saw his side stun the reigning champions and subject them to a massive 89-run defeat. The New Zealand batter has now overtaken Suryakumar Yadav, Babar Azam and Aiden Markram to leap up the standings. He is now within touching distance of Rizwan for the top spot with just 18 points separating the two.
Conway’s partner at the top of the order Finn Allen is also on the move after his brutal innings against Australia where he hit 42 from just 16 balls before being dismissed by Josh Hazlewood. The 23-year-old is now joint 13th with South Africa’s Reeza Hendricks in the rankings, jumping up by 17 places.
Yadav completes the top-three ranking spots alongside Rizwan and Conway, with Babar Azam dropping out of the top three for the first time this year. The Pakistan captain registered a first-ball duck against India and drops 13 points since the last edition of the rankings.
In the bowling rankings, Rashid Khan has regained the top spot from Josh Hazlewood. The Afghanistan spinner is three points clear from the Australia quick on 702 points. Rashid was impressive in his side’s loss to England, conceding just 17 from his four overs and picking up the wicket of Harry Brook.
Wanindu Hasaranga drops down three places to sixth in the table. He is replaced in the top-three by Tabraiz Shamsi after a difficult match for the Sri Lanka player against Australia on Saturday, where he conceded 53 runs from his three overs and failed to take a wicket.
England pair, Sam Curran and Adil Rashid both move up a spot, with Keshav Maharaj dropping out of the top ten. Curran picked up the best-ever figures for and England T20I bowler against Afghanistan in their first match of the tournament, taking five wickets for ten runs.
ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings (Batting)
Mohammad Rizwan – Pakistan
Devon Conway – New Zealand
Suryakumar Kumar – India
Babar Azam – Pakistan
Aiden Markram – South Africa
Dawid Malan – England
Aaron Finch – Australia
Pathum Nissanka – Sri Lanka
Virat Kohli – India
Muhammad Waseem – UAE
ICC Men’s T20 Player Rankings (Bowling)
Rashid Khan – Afghanistan
Josh Hazlewood – Australia
Tabraiz Shamsi – South Africa
Mujeeb Ur Rahman – Afghanistan
Maheesh Theekshana – Sri Lanka
Wanindu Hasaranga – Sri Lanka
Adam Zampa – Australia
Sam Curran – England
Adil Rashid – England
Bhuvneshwar Kumar – India
