T20I Rankings Shake-Up: Abhishek Sharma Makes History as World No.1, Outshines Test Buzz

Sports News: The five-match Test series between India and England has reached a thrilling climax. After four intense matches, England leads the series 2-1. All eyes are now on The Oval in London, where the final Test will begin on July 31 and decide the series outcome. Just ahead of this crucial match, the International Cricket Council (ICC) released its latest player rankings, setting the cricket world abuzz.

Abhishek Sharma rises to No. 1 in ICC T20I rankings

India’s young batting prodigy Abhishek Sharma has achieved a historic milestone by climbing to the top spot in the ICC Men’s T20I batting rankings.

• He becomes only the third Indian to reach No. 1, following legends Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav.
• Sharma overtook Australia’s Travis Head, who had dominated the list for nearly a year.

Abhishek’s journey to the top reflects his consistent brilliance, highlighted by a T20I century against Zimbabwe and key knocks versus South Africa and England. These performances have propelled him to the status of the world’s premier T20 batsman.

Other major shifts in ICC rankings

The latest update also brought significant changes for other international players:

• Josh Inglis (Australia) climbed six places to 9th.
• Tim David jumped 12 positions to 28th.
• Cameron Green surged a staggering 64 spots to settle at 24th.
• Strong showings, including 205 runs across five matches against the West Indies, boosted rankings for several Australian and Caribbean players.
• Pacer Nathan Ellis advanced to 7th place.
• Teammate Sean Abbott rose 21 places and is now ranked 23rd.

Test rankings see big moves too

• Joe Root remains the No. 1 Test batter with 904 rating points.
• Rishabh Pant moved up to 7th, gaining one place.
• England’s Ben Duckett rose five spots to 10th.
• Yashasvi Jaiswal slipped down three spots to 8th.
• Jadeja’s heroics bring rewards

Ravindra Jadeja’s superb century in the Manchester Test paid off—he leapt five places to reach 29th in the Test batting rankings. England’s Ben Stokes also gained momentum, jumping eight spots to claim 34th place.

All-rounders & bowlers’ standings

In the all-rounder list, Ben Stokes climbed three places. The bowling table saw no change—Jasprit Bumrah continues as the world’s No. 1 Test bowler. Abhishek Sharma’s climb to the top of the T20I batting rankings is a landmark achievement for India. The ICC’s latest update, timed just before the Oval Test, underscores how this gripping India-England series is reshaping the international cricket landscape—with several players’ careers now taking a dramatic new turn.