KEY POINTS
- Farhan becomes first batter to score two centuries in a single T20 World Cup edition.
- Ishan Kishan storms to No. 4 while Zimbabwe’s Brian Bennett rises six spots after stellar debut.
- Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed climbs to third, closing in on top-ranked Varun Chakravarthy.
ISLAMABAD: Sahibzada Farhan has turned Pakistan’s World Cup heartbreak into a personal triumph, as the latest ICC Men’s T20I Batting Rankings released on Wednesday reveal the opener is now within touching distance of dethroning India’s Abhishek Sharma as the world’s number one batter.
According to ICC’s latest rankings update, India’s Abhishek Sharma still leads the chart with 874 rating points, but he is now looking over his shoulder at a resurgent Sahibzada Farhan, who has rocketed to a career-high second place with 848 points.
The Pakistani opener’s monumental effort sees him sitting comfortably ahead of England’s Phil Salt (803), who rounds out the top three.
The race to be the No.1 ranked T20I batter just got even tighter following the completion of the Super Eights phase at the #T20WorldCup 😲
Details 👇https://t.co/fihXePSiYW
— ICC (@ICC) March 4, 2026
Farhan’s record-breaking World Cup campaign
While India’s Abhishek Sharma has encountered a rough patch during his maiden T20 World Cup appearance, Sahibzada Farhan has roared to life on the exact same stage.
Playing in his first-ever World Cup, the right-hander single-handedly shouldered the Pakistani innings, contributing to nearly 40% of his team’s total runs in the tournament.
His performances have been nothing short of historic. Farhan has become the first batter in the history of the ICC T20 World Cup to score two centuries in a single edition of the tournament.
His second hundred, a masterclass at the Pallekele International Stadium, not only set a new record but also propelled him to his current career-high rating, placing him firmly in contention to dethrone the Indian leader.
Top 10 shake-up: Kishan and Bennett soar
The rankings update also reflects major changes elsewhere, largely driven by team selections. India’s gamble to replace Shubman Gill and Sanju Samson with Ishan Kishan as the frontline wicketkeeper-opener has paid spectacular dividends.
Kishan has made a thunderous return to form, punctuated by several half-centuries and a century over the last two months. His consistency has propelled him four spots up the ladder to claim the No. 4 position.
He is joined in the top ten by his compatriots Tilak Varma, who holds steady at No. 6, and skipper Suryakumar Yadav, who sits at No. 7.
A special mention goes to Zimbabwe’s young opener, Brian Bennett. The 22-year-old has taken the tournament by storm with remarkable consistency, amassing 292 runs at a striking average.
His debut World Cup campaign has seen him rise six places to claim the 11th spot, narrowly missing out on a top-ten berth.
Bowling rankings: Abrar Ahmed closes in on Varun Chakravarthy
The battle for supremacy is equally intense in the ICC Men’s T20I Bowling Rankings. India’s mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy remains the No. 1 ranked bowler, but his lead is shrinking.
He now sits just 18 rating points ahead of Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan, who holds the second spot.
Hot on their heels is Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed. The spinner has made a wonderful progression, climbing two spots to secure the third position.
The updated list also features significant gains for South African pacer Lungi Ngidi, England’s Liam Dawson, and Indian pace duo Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, both of whom have broken into the top ten following their impressive displays.
