India’s rising cricket star, Abhishek Sharma, has made headlines by becoming the world’s number one T20I batter, joining an elite list that includes Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav. The 23-year-old left-handed opener from Punjab, who only made his international debut last year, has taken the cricketing world by storm with his explosive performances.
Abhishek Sharma Ends Travis Head’s Reign at the Top
In a significant development in the ICC T20I rankings, Abhishek dethroned Australian opener Travis Head — his teammate at Sunrisers Hyderabad — to claim the top spot. Head had taken over the No.1 position from Suryakumar Yadav after the 2024 T20 World Cup, but Abhishek’s consistent brilliance has now pushed him to the summit.
In just 17 T20I matches, Abhishek has already smashed two centuries, the first during his debut series against Zimbabwe, and the second — an outstanding 135-run knock — against England. With a strike rate of 193.8, his aggressive yet calculated approach has played a key role in India’s recent T20I success and is clearly reflected in his rapid rise in the global rankings.
Root Tops Test Rankings, Pant and Jadeja Impress
While Abhishek dominates the T20 scene, Joe Root continues to lead the way in the Test batting rankings following a strong series against India. On the Indian side, Rishabh Pant has climbed one place to 7th in the Test batter rankings, thanks to a courageous half-century against England despite a fractured toe.
However, not all Indian batters had a memorable series. Yashasvi Jaiswal, the young left-handed opener, dropped three places to eighth after a relatively quiet run with the bat.
Among the all-rounders, Ravindra Jadeja enjoyed a big leap, reaching a career-best 29th position in the Test batter rankings while tightening his grip on the No.1 spot in the Test all-rounder category. On the bowling front, Jasprit Bumrah remains India’s spearhead and continues to sit at the top of the ICC Test bowler rankings.
