Dubai: Adil Rashid, the experienced spinner from England, has regained the number one position in the ICC men's T20I bowling rankings following his outstanding performances in the recent three-match T20I series against India.
The 36-year-old leg-spinner initially ascended to the top of the T20I bowling rankings at the end of 2023 but was later surpassed by West Indies' Akeal Hosein before the holiday season.
Rashid's remarkable displays in the T20Is against India in the subcontinent enabled him to reclaim his leading position. He executed a masterful bowling performance that significantly influenced England's success.
In the third match held in Rajkot on Tuesday, Rashid recorded impressive figures of 1/15, contributing significantly to England's 26-run victory. He has taken three wickets across the three matches.
Despite Rashid's efforts, England finds themselves trailing 2-1 in the series. Meanwhile, India's Varun Chakravarthy made a notable leap in the rankings, moving up 25 places to fifth after his five-wicket haul in Rajkot.
India's vice-captain Axar Patel is close to breaking into the top 10, having risen five spots to 11th in the rankings.
In the T20I batting rankings, Australia's Travis Head faces new competition from India's promising young player Tilak Varma, who has surged to second place following his impressive performances. Head maintains a 23-point advantage at the top, but Varma is closely pursuing him with scores of 19*, 72*, and 18 against England.
If Tilak maintains his impressive performances, he has the potential to surpass Head and claim the top position. Achieving this would make Tilak the youngest player to hold the title of the leading T20I batter.
In the latest T20I batter rankings, Tilak's fellow countryman Abhishek Sharma climbed 59 positions to reach 40th place. England's Liam Livingstone advanced five spots to tie for 32nd, while Ben Duckett surged 28 places to share 68th.
In the ICC Test bowling rankings, Pakistan's seasoned spinner Noman Ali ascended to fifth place after taking 10 wickets in the second Test against the West Indies.
Meanwhile, Jomel Warrican, Noman's counterpart, improved to the 24th position in the ICC Test all-rounder rankings. Pakistan's wicketkeeper-batter Mohammed Rizwan made significant progress in the Test batting rankings, moving up two spots to 15th after finishing the series as the top run-scorer with 147 runs.
