ICC T20I Rankings: Tilak Varma climbs two spots to fourth place; Varun reigns supreme
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "ICC T20I Rankings: Tilak Varma climbs two spots to fourth place; Varun reigns supreme")
ICC T20I Rankings Tilak climbs two spots to fourth place; Varun reigns supreme Photograph: (AFP)
While Varma is the highest run-scorer thus far after three contested games, Varun is India's best bet in the bowling department, picking six wickets.
Tilak Varma climbed two spots to fourth place in the updated T20I rankings for batters, while off-spinner Varun Chakaravarthy reigns supreme among the bowlers. India ace opener Abhishek Sharma, who hasn’t converted starts to something massive thus far in the first three T20Is against the Proteas, continues to lead the batting chart with a career-high 909 rating points.
Varma has been India’s best bet in this five-match T20I series, scoring 113 runs in three matches, including his impressive 34-ball 62 in the second T20I, followed by an unbeaten 26 in Dharamsala to see his team home. Chakaravarthy, on the other hand, continues to be India’s performing T20I bowler, picking six wickets in three contested games at 9.83 and an economy of 5.36.
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Among the pacers, India’s Arshdeep Singh and lanky South African Marco Jansen jumped four and 14 places, sitting at 16th and 25th place, respectively. Country’s highest T20I wicket-taker Arshdeep picked up two for 13 in the previous T20I, helping India win the game and take a 2-1 lead.
The South African batters were also among those who gained rating points and climbed up the charts. While Quinton de Kock jumped 14 places following his 90 in the second game, sitting in the 53rd place, Aiden Markram’s 69 in the next match saw him climb eight places to the 29th spot.
Team India aims to complete series win in Lucknow
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After three close ties, the action moves to Lucknow for the fourth T20I on Wednesday (Dec 17), with the hosts sitting in the driver’s seat (2-1). While the weather conditions would be challenging (chilly and foggy), the two teams are unlikely to tinker with their playing XIs barring the forced changes, one of which includes Axar Patel’s replacement.
Although there remains an uncertainty around pacer Jasprit Bumrah’s availability for the 4th T20I, Shivam Dube said he thinks that Jasprit would be available.
Here are the predicted playing XIs of both teams for Lucknow T20I –
India - Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma, Harshit Rana/ Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy
South Africa - Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Donovan Ferreira, George Linde, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Anrich Nortje, Ottneil Baartman
