Varun Chakravarthy Makes Stunning Leap to 5th in ICC Men’s T20 Bowling Rankings
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): In a remarkable turn of events in the ICC Men's T20 Bowling Rankings, India's mysterious spinner Varun Chakravarthy has made a sensational leap of 25 spots to secure the fifth position. This rise comes after an impressive performance in the ongoing five-match series against England, where he claimed five wickets in the third T20 match in Rajkot. His ability to deceive batsmen with his variations and accuracy was on full display, making it the highlight of the series so far. Chakravarthy's performance played a key role in India's efforts, though they lost the match by 26 runs. His new position among the top five T20 bowlers emphasizes his emergence as a significant force in white-ball cricket.
While Chakravarthy made waves, England's experienced spinner Adil Rashid quietly reclaimed the top spot in the ICC T20 bowling rankings. Rashid's consistent performances, including a frugal spell of 1/15 in Rajkot, helped England stay in the series, which now stands at 2-1 in favor of India. At 36, Rashid's resurgence is a testament to his longevity and skill. After briefly losing his number-one rank to Akeal Hosein, Rashid has now regained the position, further solidifying his relevance in the shortest format of the game. England's fast bowler Jofra Archer also made a remarkable jump, climbing 13 spots to secure sixth place. Archer’s two wickets in Rajkot highlighted his ability to bowl in challenging conditions, complementing Rashid's spin mastery.
Meanwhile, India’s Axar Patel is edging closer to the top 10, rising five places to 11th. In the T20 batting rankings, India’s rising star Tilak Verma has narrowed the gap with Australia’s Travis Head for the number-one spot. Verma has scored 19*, 72*, and 18 runs in the current series, moving to second place, just 23 points behind Head. With 832 points, Verma now holds the fourth-highest points tally by an Indian batsman in T20 rankings, behind only Suryakumar Yadav, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul. If Verma surpasses Head in the remaining two matches of the series, he will become the youngest player to reach the top of the T20 batting rankings, surpassing Babar Azam's record. In addition to Verma, Abhishek Sharma has been another standout performer for India, making a huge leap of 59 spots to reach 40th place. England’s Liam Livingstone (32nd) and Ben Duckett (68th) also made significant strides, reflecting the strong performances from both teams in this crucial series.
Following the conclusion of the Pakistan-West Indies series, there were also changes in the ICC Test rankings. Pakistan's left-arm spinner Nauman Ali, who took 10 wickets in Multan, jumped four spots to reach fifth place in the Test bowling rankings. Nauman became only the 12th Pakistani bowler to surpass the 800-point mark in Test bowling. West Indies' spinner Jomel Warrican also made a significant leap, rising 16 spots to 25th after his Player of the Series performance, where he took 19 wickets, confirming his emerging status in Test cricket. He also climbed to 24th in the Test all-rounder rankings. India’s Jasprit Bumrah remains at the top of the Test bowling rankings following his exceptional performances during the Australia series. Meanwhile, England's experienced Joe Root continues to hold the top spot in the Test batting rankings, showcasing his unmatched consistency.
