Wellington: Jacob Duffy, New Zealand's fast bowler, has achieved a significant milestone in white-ball cricket by ascending to the top position in the ICC Men's T20I Bowler Rankings, as announced on Wednesday.
Duffy's rise came after his outstanding performance in the recent T20I series against Pakistan at home, where he took a remarkable 13 wickets, leading the series with an impressive average of 8.38. This contribution was pivotal in New Zealand's convincing 4-1 series victory over Pakistan.
As a result of his exceptional play, the 30-year-old pacer moved up four places in the rankings, surpassing West Indies spinner Akeal Hosein, as well as Varun Chakaravarthy, Adil Rashid, and Wanindu Hasaranga, according to the ICC.
This marks the first time Duffy has achieved the number one bowler ranking in any format, making him the first New Zealander to hold the top spot in men's T20I cricket since Ish Sodhi in 2018.
Additionally, Duffy is not the only New Zealand player making strides in the rankings this week. Top-order batsman Tim Seifert has also reached a new career-high rating following a stellar series against Pakistan.
Seifert amassed 249 runs at an average of 62.25 over the five matches, including a standout score of 97* in the final match in Wellington, which earned him the Player of the Series award. His performance propelled him five places up to eighth in the updated T20I batter rankings, making him the highest-ranked New Zealand player in this category, which is currently led by Australia's Travis Head.
Finn Allen, a teammate of Seifert, has ascended one position to 15th in the latest T20I batter rankings, while Jimmy Neesham has made a significant leap of 14 spots to 30th among T20I all-rounders, thanks to his impressive performances against Pakistan.
In the updated ODI rankings, New Zealand players are also celebrating following the first match of their 50-over series against Pakistan. Mark Chapman has surged from outside the top 100 to 78th in the ODI batter rankings after his outstanding century in Napier.
Additionally, Will O'Rourke has climbed 15 places to 56th among ODI bowlers, following his economical bowling in the same match. Meanwhile, Pakistan's Haris Rauf has moved up nine positions to 16th after taking two wickets during the contest in Napier.
The Kiwis have secured a 4-1 series victory over Pakistan in the T20I segment and have already clinched the ODI series with a 2-0 lead, with one match remaining.
