Pakistan’s Saim Ayub Becomes World No.1 T20I All-Rounder

KEY POINTS

• India’s Abhishek Sharma sets a historic record as the highest-rated T20I batter ever with 931 points.
• Multiple ranking shifts followed the Asia Cup, with players from Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh climbing the ICC charts.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s rising star Saim Ayub has claimed the title of world’s No.1 T20I all-rounder, ending Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s long-standing reign at the top of the ICC rankings.

Ayub’s promotion is a significant milestone for the 21-year-old, whose bowling brilliance during the recently concluded Asia Cup 2025 propelled him four spots up the ladder.

He took eight wickets in the tournament, a tally unmatched among all-rounders, allowing him to edge past Pandya in the global standings.

Despite struggling with the bat, registering four ducks in seven innings, Ayub’s impact with the ball was enough to put him eight points clear of Pandya, who now holds second place.

Ranking Shake-Up: Nawaz, Asalanka, Chakravarthy Make Gains

Several other players made notable moves across the ICC T20I rankings following their Asia Cup performances:

Mohammad Nawaz (Pakistan) jumped to 13th among all-rounders, showcasing his growing influence with both bat and ball.

Charith Asalanka (Sri Lanka) rose to equal 30th, thanks to solid performances in pressure situations.

In the bowling charts, India’s Varun Chakravarthy remained firmly on top after taking seven wickets, strengthening his position as the No.1 T20I bowler in the world.

Fellow Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav climbed nine places to reach 12th, while Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi made an impressive leap of 12 spots, now sharing 13th place.

Bangladesh’s Rishad Hossain also entered the top 20 for the first time, adding to the South Asian dominance across T20I rankings.

Abhishek Sharma Breaks Batting Records

Meanwhile, India’s Abhishek Sharma made history by becoming the highest-rated T20I batter of all time, reaching an unprecedented 931 rating points, surpassing England’s Dawid Malan’s 2020 record of 919.

The 25-year-old opener scored 314 runs at an average of 44.85 during the Asia Cup and was named Player of the Tournament.

His consistency nearly earned him a unique record of eight consecutive 30+ scores, but a rare failure in the final against Pakistan ended his streak at seven, a record he now shares with Mohammad Rizwan and Rohit Sharma.

Despite his dismissal for just five in the final, Abhishek maintains a strong lead at the top of the batting rankings, 82 points ahead of England’s Phil Salt, who sits second.

Farhan, Nissanka, Perera Climb Batting Charts

Pathum Nissanka (Sri Lanka) rose two places to fifth after amassing 261 runs.

Kusal Perera also moved up two spots, entering the top 10 at ninth.

Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan, one of the tournament’s surprise packages, climbed an impressive 11 places to 13th in the world.

Latest ICC T20I men’s rankings

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