DUBAI, UAE: Pakistan’s T20I cricketers have suffered a collective setback in the latest ICC rankings, with opener Sahibzada Farhan emerging as the only player to hold his ground while the rest of the squad endured a downward slide.
The rankings update, released on Wednesday, brought little cheer for Pakistan fans as Babar Azam tumbled three places to 41st, T20I captain Salman Ali Agha slipped two spots to 43rd, and Saim Ayub dropped to 38th. Farhan, however, remained a bright spot, retaining his third position behind India’s Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan.
🚨Pakistan latest ICC T20I Rankings Update 🚨
– Sahibzada Farhan holds firm at No. 3 in the ICC T20I batting rankings, while the rest of Pakistan’s batters have dropped places.
BATTERS:
-Sahibzada Farhan – 3rd (No change)
-Saim Ayub – Down 2 places to 38th
-Babar Azam – Down… pic.twitter.com/WHp0tayN1J— Talha Nawaz (@TalhaDigital007) June 17, 2026
In the bowling charts, Mohammad Nawaz and Salman Mirza held their positions at 11th and 20th respectively, while Shaheen Shah Afridi slipped one place to 31st. Haris Rauf was the sole Pakistani bowler to make progress, climbing one spot to 89th.
Batters tumble while bowlers hold ground
Opening batter Saim Ayub experienced a two-place decline from 36th to 38th with 560 rating points, while Babar Azam slipped three spots to 41st, marking a worrying trend for Pakistan’s top order. T20I captain Salman Ali Agha also dropped two places to 43rd with 547 points, and left-handed opener Fakhar Zaman lost one position, settling at 72nd with 481 points.
At the summit of the batting rankings, India’s Abhishek Sharma continues to lead the charts, with compatriot Ishan Kishan occupying second place. Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan remains the highest-ranked Pakistani batter, holding firm at third position.
In the bowling department, Mohammad Nawaz retained his 11th spot while fast bowler Salman Mirza remained unchanged at 20th, offering some stability to Pakistan’s ranking sheet. However, pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi slipped one place to 31st with 602 points, and spinner Usman Tariq dropped two positions to 61st with 524 points.
Pakistan players slip in ICC T20I rankingshttps://t.co/nTLgUaW9u9
— Sports News 24/7 (@Sports247PK) June 17, 2026
Spinner Sufiyan Muqeem also fell one place to 68th, while Saim Ayub and Shadab Khan managed to retain their 72nd and 74th positions respectively. Fast bowler Haris Rauf was the only Pakistan player to make progress, moving up one place to 89th with 448 points.
Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan continues to dominate the T20I bowling rankings at the top, followed by India’s Varun Chakaravarthy in second place, while Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed holds third position.
Cause for concern ahead of future assignments
The ranking slide raises questions about Pakistan’s form and consistency in the shortest format, particularly as key players struggle to maintain their standing against rising competition. With only Farhan showing resilience at the top, the onus will be on the team’s senior players to regain their footing ahead of upcoming international assignments.
