Ishan Kishan replaces Abhishek Sharma as world no 1 T20 batter in latest ICC T20I batting rankings

Ishan Kishan replaces Abhishek Sharma as world no 1 T20 batter in latest ICC T20I batting rankings

Ishan Kishan Photograph: (Others)

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Ishan Kishan becomes ICC Men’s T20I no.1 batter after a stellar World Cup as India retain top spot in team rankings ahead of England series

India’s Ishan Kishan has reached the top of the ICC Men’s T20I batting rankings for the first time in his career. In the latest ICC rankings released on Wednesday (July 1), Kishan overtook teammate Abhishek Sharma to claim the no. 1 position. Sharma’s impressive 11-month stint at the top came to an end following India’s two-match T20I series against Ireland. With this achievement, Kishan becomes only the fourth Indian batter to attain the no. 1 spot in the ICC Men’s T20I batting rankings, joining an elite list that includes Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, and Abhishek Sharma.

Kishan returned to the Indian T20I setup for the T20 World Cup 2026 after an outstanding domestic season, and his remarkable performances have driven his rise to the summit. The wicketkeeper-batter enjoyed a sensational T20 World Cup campaign, scoring 317 runs at a strike rate of more than 190. His standout knock came against Pakistan, where he was named Player of the Match after delivering a match-winning performance. He also played a crucial innings in the tournament final, smashing 54 runs off just 25 balls against New Zealand.

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India continue to dominate the ICC batting rankings, with newly appointed vice-captain Tilak Varma occupying the sixth spot. Among bowlers, Varun Chakravarthy remains India’s highest-ranked player at no. 3, while Jasprit Bumrah is placed sixth. Hardik Pandya continues to hold the No. 2 position in the ICC Men’s T20I all-rounder rankings.

Despite suffering a surprising 2-0 series defeat to Ireland, India retained the no. 1 position in the ICC Men’s T20I team rankings with 272 rating points, maintaining a 10-point lead over second-placed England. India and England are set to start their highly anticipated five-match T20I series later on Wednesday (July 1).

Meanwhile, the Indian women’s cricket team, which recently secured qualification for the LA 2028 Olympics, remains third in the ICC Women’s T20I team rankings behind Australia and England. Among Indian women cricketers, Smriti Mandhana is ranked no. 5 among batters, Sree Charani continues to lead the bowling rankings, and Deepti Sharma is India’s highest-ranked T20I all-rounder at no. 5.

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