Varun Chakaravarthy has spun his way into cricketing history, becoming the world’s top-ranked T20I bowler for the first time. The 34-year-old mystery spinner is only the third Indian to claim the No. 1 spot in the ICC rankings, joining the illustrious company of Jasprit Bumrah and Ravi Bishnoi.
His steady climb was sealed after economical spells of 1 for 4 against the UAE and 1 for 24 against Pakistan in the Asia Cup. These performances propelled him three places upwards, overtaking New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy, who had held the position since March. Chakaravarthy had previously touched the second spot earlier this year in February.
“India spinner Varun Chakaravarthy has been rewarded for his consistent form in 2025 by becoming the No.1 ranked bowler on the latest ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings,” the ICC said in a statement.
India’s spin contingent enjoyed a fruitful update overall. Kuldeep Yadav jumped 16 places to 23rd, while all-rounder Axar Patel climbed to 12th. Bumrah, meanwhile, rose four spots to 40th in the bowlers’ list.
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Among the all-rounders, Hardik Pandya retained his commanding grip on the No. 1 position. Abhishek Sharma continued his rapid rise, surging four places to 14th and also holding firm as the top-ranked T20I batter. His explosive knocks, 30 off 16 balls against the UAE and 31 off 13 versus Pakistan, pushed him to a career-best 884 rating points.
Shubman Gill’s upward movement saw him reach 39th, but the update brought setbacks for Tilak Varma and captain Suryakumar Yadav. Tilak slipped to fourth place, Suryakumar dropped to seventh, while Yashasvi Jaiswal, not part of the Asia Cup squad, fell two places to 13th.
The England opening duo of Phil Salt and Jos Buttler made their charge into the top bracket. Salt’s unbeaten 141 off 60 balls against South Africa, the fastest T20 century by an England batter, lifted him closer to reclaiming his career-best No. 1 ranking. Buttler’s whirlwind 83 from 30 deliveries pushed him to a career-high 794 points, securing his debut in the top three.
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