Abhishek Sharma retains top spot in ICC T20I batting rankings after T20 World Cup final heroics

New Delhi [India], March 11 (ANI): Left-handed batter Abhishek Sharma has retained the top position in the latest ICC Men's T20I batting rankings, which were updated by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday.
The latest ICC T20I rankings were updated after Suryakumar Yadav's side cruised to a 96-run triumph over New Zealand in the final in Ahmedabad on March 8. With the win, India clinched back-to-back titles and became the first team to win three Men's T20 World Cup trophies since the tournament's inception.
Abhishek Sharma played a crucial role in the final, delivering a match-defining knock after a difficult start to the tournament. The young batter had struggled during the early stages of the T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, registering three consecutive ducks.
The young batter played a match-defining knock of 52 runs off just 21 balls, smashing six boundaries and three sixes to provide India with a strong start in the first innings after being put in to bat.
After scoring a blistering half-century in the T20 World Cup final in Ahmedabad, Sharma retained his top spot with 875 rating points to his name.
His teammate Ishan Kishan is now his closest rival after he moved up two places to second overall after his 317 runs at the tournament.
The left-handed batter Kishan earned a new career-high rating, while New Zealand's Tim Seifert (up four places to sixth) and England's Jacob Bethell (up 17 rungs to 16th) also improved to the best marks of their career following some dominant knocks during the T20 World Cup.
In the Men's T20 bowling rankings, India's mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy, who scalped 14 wickets in the T20 World Cup, lost his number spot to Afghanistan's Rashid Khan. Chakarvarthy now has 740 rating points, whereas Rashid has 753 points.
England's Adil Rashid (up one spot to fourth), while the Indian duo of Jasprit Bumrah (up one place to sixth) and Axar Patel (up six slots to 17th) were rewarded for efforts during the T20 World Cup.
The race at the top of the rankings for T20I all-rounders also remained tight, with Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza and India star Hardik Pandya obtaining new career-high ratings this week while occupying the top two spots in the category.
New Zealand captain also claimed a new career-best rating by jumping three spots to ninth for T20I all-rounders, while England's Will Jacks (up five slots to 13th) made gains following his impressive tournament at the T20 World Cup. (ANI)