Varun Chakaravarthy Tops ICC T20I Bowling Rankings After Asia Cup Success

Varun Chakaravarthy has claimed the top position in the ICC T20I bowling rankings, following stellar performances in the Asia Cup 2025. He joins fellow Indian bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Ravi Bishnoi in this achievement, highlighting India's strength in T20 cricket.

Varun Chakaravarthy has ascended to the top of the ICC T20I bowling rankings, becoming the third Indian bowler to achieve this distinction. This achievement follows his impressive performance against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 Group A match at Dubai International Stadium. At 34, he joins Jasprit Bumrah and Ravi Bishnoi as Indian bowlers who have reached this milestone.

Earlier in the year, Chakaravarthy had climbed to second place in the rankings. He has now surpassed New Zealand's Jacob Duffy, who held the top position since March. In the ongoing eight-team tournament, Chakaravarthy delivered remarkable spells, taking 1/4 in two overs against UAE and 1/24 in four overs against Pakistan.

Indian Bowlers Climb Rankings

Other Indian bowlers have also made strides in the rankings. Axar Patel has moved up to 12th place, while Kuldeep Yadav has risen seven spots to 16th. Jasprit Bumrah, after returning to T20I cricket following last year's World Cup, has climbed four places to reach 40th position.

In batting rankings, Abhishek Sharma solidified his lead with quick innings of 30 and 31 against UAE and Pakistan. These performances added 55 rating points to his tally, bringing him to a total of 884 points. England's Phil Salt and Jos Buttler are close behind him in second and third positions.

International Players Making Gains

Several international players have also improved their standings. Sri Lanka's Pathum Nissanka moved up one spot to sixth place, while South Africa's Dewald Brevis advanced two places to 11th. Afghanistan's Rahmanullah Gurbaz and UAE's Mohammad Waseem both climbed two spots each, reaching 19th and 20th positions respectively.

South Africa's Aiden Markram made a significant leap of ten places to secure the 30th spot. India's Shubman Gill rose four places to rank 39th, while Pakistan's Sahibzada Farhan jumped an impressive eighteen places to reach the 55th position.

England vs South Africa T20I Highlights

The second T20I between England and South Africa saw England post a formidable score of 304/2 in their allotted twenty overs. Phil Salt played an extraordinary innings, scoring an unbeaten 141 off just 60 balls. This was not only his highest score but also marked the fastest T20I century by an English batter.

This remarkable performance brought Salt closer to reclaiming his career-best No.1 ranking. Meanwhile, Jos Buttler contributed with a rapid knock of 83 off just 30 balls, achieving a career-high of 794 rating points and entering the top three for the first time.