Shaheen Shah Afridi, Pakistan’s premier pacer, has ascended to become the nation’s top-rated T20I bowler, according to the latest International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings released on Wednesday.
Shaheen’s ranking improved by two positions, placing him 17th among T20I bowlers globally. The ICC highlighted his performance in the ongoing T20I series against New Zealand at home, where he has been the leading wicket-taker through the first three matches.
Shaheen claimed the sole wicket in a rain-affected opening match in the series. His standout performance, however, came in the second game, where he secured 3 wickets for 13 runs, leading Pakistan to a decisive seven-wicket victory over the Kiwis. This performance elevated his ranking and allowed him to surpass his teammate, Haris Rauf, who is currently in 22nd place.
England’s Adil Rashid holds the top position in the T20I bowling rankings. New Zealand’s Ish Sodhi also rose, climbing five places to reach the 18th spot after taking three wickets in the series against Pakistan.
In batting rankings, India’s Suryakumar Yadav leads the T20I charts. New Zealand’s Tim Seifert and Mark Chapman have also made notable advances. Seifert moved up three spots to 24th, whereas Chapman, following an exceptional performance including an unbeaten 87 from 42 deliveries in the third game, jumped 12 places to 33rd. His innings, which featured four sixes, earned him the Player of the Match title.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s captain, Babar Azam, has moved to fifth place in the T20I batting rankings, while Mohammad Rizwan remains in third place.
