ICC Rankings: Babar retakes top T20 batter’s spot, Hasaranga claims bowler’s crown

Pakistan

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has climbed to the number one spot on the ICC Men’s T20I batting rankings, with Wanindu Hasaranga ascending to the top rung with the ball for the first time in his career.

Babar has played a pivotal role in Pakistan’s T20 World Cup charge, making 198 runs across four innings, averaging 66 at a strike rate of 124.52, and regains the top spot he last held in January 2018.

Sitting in second in last week’s rankings, Babar moved up 14 points (to 834), pushing past England batter Dawid Malan, who slid from 831 to 798.

Elsewhere in the batting rankings, the incredible Jos Buttler made a jump of eight spots to 9th off the back of his 214 runs in UAE – the most across the tournament.

After a solid start to the T20 World Cup Aaron Finch (733 points) has moved up three places to third.

Other big climbers with the bat include England’s Jason Roy (up five places to 14th), Proteas finisher David Miller moves up six places to 33rd, and South African captain Temba Bavuma, leaps 35 spots to 52nd on the list after his fifty against Sri Lanka.

Hasaranga the king of T20I bowlers on ICC Rankings

There was also a change at the top of the T20I bowling rankings, with Wanindu Hasaranga overtaking Group 1 tournament rival Tabraiz Shamsi of South Africa.

Taking 14 wickets in Sri Lanka’s seven T20 World Cup matches thus far, Hasaranga claimed a hat-trick against South Africa, doing his damage at an economy of just 5.26. Other big movers include South Africa’s Anrich Nortje (up 18 spots to 7th), teammate Dwaine Pretorius (up 65 spots to 34th) and Shoriful Islam of Bangladesh, leaping 77 places to 38th.

The closest rival to Hasaranga’s tournament-leading haul is Shakib Al Hasan, who will miss the rest of the tournament through injury. For now, Shakib still sits atop in the all-rounder rankings, though shares the spot on the podium with Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi. Hasaranga, also making contributions with the bat, has climbed to fourth.

Liam Livingstone’s bowling impact for England has led to a 57-place jump, with Namibia’s David Wiese (up 22 places to 18th) on a quest to join teammate JJ Smit (3rd) in the top ten.