The Impressive TimesDubai, Jan 29,2025: England’s star leg-spinner Adil Rashid has regained the top position in the ICC Men’s T20I Bowling Rankings, reaffirming his dominance in the format.
Rashid initially secured the No.1 ranking in late 2023 and held onto it for a considerable period before West Indies spinner Akeal Hosein surpassed him just before Christmas. However, a string of outstanding performances in England’s ongoing T20I series against India has propelled Rashid back to the summit.
The experienced leggie delivered an economical spell of 1/15 in four overs during the third T20I in Rajkot, helping England secure a crucial 26-run victory and keeping the series alive. With three wickets in the first three matches, Rashid’s consistency has been key to England’s campaign, even as India leads the five-match series 2-1.
The latest ICC rankings update also saw significant movement among other bowlers. India’s Varun Chakravarthy soared 25 places to break into the top five, courtesy of his remarkable five-wicket haul in Rajkot. England’s Jofra Archer climbed 13 spots to secure the sixth position after his impressive bowling display in the same match. Meanwhile, India’s Axar Patel moved up five places to claim the 11th spot.
On the batting front, young Indian sensation Tilak Varma has closed in on Australia’s Travis Head for the No.1 position in T20I batting rankings. Head still leads by 23 points, but Varma’s performances in the series—including scores of 19*, 72*, and 18—have put him in contention to become the youngest-ever No.1 T20I batter. If he overtakes Head, Varma will break Babar Azam’s record, who achieved the feat at 23 years and 105 days.
Tilak Varma’s current tally of 832 ranking points is the fourth-best ever for an Indian batter, behind only Suryakumar Yadav, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul.
Several players have made notable gains in the rankings. India’s Abhishek Sharma jumped 59 places to break into the top 40, while England’s Liam Livingstone and Ben Duckett also moved up significantly.
Meanwhile, the latest Test rankings saw major shifts following the conclusion of the Pakistan-West Indies series. Pakistan’s left-arm spinner Noman Ali climbed four places to enter the top five after his match-winning 10-wicket haul in Multan. West Indies’ Jomel Warrican rose 16 spots to claim the 25th position after his Player of the Series performance, where he picked up 19 wickets.
Jasprit Bumrah continues to lead the Test bowling rankings after his heroics in Australia, while he recently won the Sir Garfield Sobers Award for ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year 2024
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