Babar Azam moves up in latest ICC T20I batting rankings
India’s middle-order batter Suryakumar Yadav has retains his position at the top of the batting rankings
KARACHI: Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has moved up a spot to reach the third position in the latest ICC T20I batting rankings.
Babar notched up a match-winning fifty in the semi-final against New Zealand during the recently-concluded T20 World Cup.
However, the skipper did not have a good start to the tournament as he scored just 39 runs in the Super 12 stage of the event, which caused fans and several pundits to criticise him for his dismal performance.
He managed to score 32 runs in the final as Pakistan failed to stop England from winning the title.
Overall, Babar could only accumulate 124 runs at an average of 17.71 and strike rate of 93.23 in seven innings during the tournament.
As far as the rest of the rankings are concerned, India’s middle-order batter Suryakumar Yadav has retained his position at the top of the batting rankings.
Pakistan’s wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan is in the second position, with New Zealand’s Devon Conway and South Africa’s Aiden Markram completing the top five in fourth and fifth place respectively.
England opener Alex Hales also greatly improved his ranking after playing a key role in his side’s triumphant campaign.
“Alex Hales, who smashed an unbeaten 86 from 47 deliveries in the semi-final against India, was also seen making a big jump in the rankings as he climbed 22 places up to No 12. Hales finished as England's second-highest run-scorer in the T20 World Cup, with 212 runs at an average of 42.40,” the ICC said in a press release.
In the bowlers’ rankings, England pacer Sam Curran has moved up two spots to move to number five after registering Player of the Match performance of 3/12 in the final against Pakistan. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga, followed by Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan, retain the top two places.
England spinner Adil Rashid has also surged to the third position in the rankings after gaining five spots.
“Adil Rashid has been the biggest gainer after his extraordinary performances in the semi-final against India and the final against Pakistan. Rashid registered figures of 1/20 and 2/22 in the two matches respectively, gaining five spots to move up to No 3,” the press release added.
In the all-rounders' rankings, Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan, Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi and India’s Hardik Pandya retain the top three spots.