T20 batters’ ranking: Abhishek skyrockets to second spot

Dubai: In-form India opener Abhishek Sharma leapfrogged 38 places to the second spot in the ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings for batters while his teammate Tilak Verma dropped a rung to the third place on Wednesday.

Abhishek produced the best innings of his fledging international career when he smashed a quick-fire 135 in the fifth and final T20 against England in Mumbai, leading India to a thumping 4-1 series win. Abhishek’s innings came off just 54 deliveries and was adorned with 13 sixes.

It was the highest score by an Indian men’s player in the shortest format. As a result, the 24-year-old zoomed to the second spot in the latest ranking. Australia star Travis Head continues to lead the T20I batters’ chart, but Abhishek is just 26 rating points behind him following his record-breaking effort at Wankhede.

Skipper Suryakumar Yadav is placed fifth and all within striking distance of Head, while his India teammates Hardik Pandya (up five rungs to equal 51st) and Shivam Dube (up 38 spots to 58th) also moved up the rankings chart following some good scores against England. It’s a similar story on the bowlers’ rankings with spinner Varun Chakravarthy moving up three places to joint second with Adil Rashid on the back of his 14 wickets and player-of-the-series effort against England. Fellow spinner Ravi Bishnoi (up four places to sixth) also climbed the list after taking five wickets in the series against England.