News by “Sana Ullah“
England’s spin maestro Adil Rashid has ascended two positions to claim the coveted number one spot in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings. This rise comes on the heels of Rashid’s stellar performances in the ongoing five-match series against the West Indies, currently leveled at 2-2 with one match remaining.
In a remarkable display of skill, Rashid clinched five wickets in the last three matches, propelling him to the pinnacle of the bowlers’ list for the first time in his career. The leg-spinner surpassed the likes of Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan and India’s Ravi Bishnoi. Rashid’s previous best ranking was second position, last held in September 2023.
The left-arm wrist spinners Tabraiz Shamsi of South Africa and India’s Kuldeep Yadav have also made noteworthy advancements. Shamsi secured a spot in the top 10, while Yadav’s stellar five-wicket performance in the series against South Africa propelled him 13 places to 24th position.
Other notable movers include South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj (up five places to 19th) and India fast bowler Mohammad Siraj (up an impressive 37 places to 69th).
Shifting focus to the batting rankings, West Indies opener Brandon King’s match-winning innings of 82 not out in the second match propelled him to a career-best sixth position. Meanwhile, Nicholas Pooran (up two places to 12th) and Rovman Powell (up 14 places to 23rd) also made significant progress.
In the ODI Rankings, Babar Azam reclaims the number one batter position after Shubman Gill’s absence from the ODIs against South Africa. Ireland players gained attention with a series win over Zimbabwe, leading to upward movements in the rankings for Harry Tector (up one place to seventh) and Curtis Campher (up 19 places to 73rd).
The bowling rankings witnessed changes as well, with New Zealand’s Trent Boult (up one place to seventh) and Bangladesh’s Shoriful Islam (up 14 places to 59th) making strides.
Turning to the Test rankings, Australia’s David Warner climbed nine slots to 27th after his impressive 164 in the first innings against Pakistan. Usman Khawaja’s scores of 41 and 90 propelled him three places to fourth. Among Pakistan batters, Imam Ul Haq (up one place to 29th) and Agha Salman (up two places to 32nd) advanced.
In the Test bowling rankings, Australia’s Pat Cummins secured the third position, Nathan Lyon claimed the fifth spot, and Josh Hazlewood entered the top 10. Notably, Pakistan debutants Aamer Jamal and Khurram Shahzad made their mark, entering the rankings in 74th and 87th positions, respectively.
