Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy has made history by ascending to the coveted top spot in the ICC Men’s T20I bowling rankings for 2025. This remarkable achievement places him among an elite group, as he becomes only the third Indian bowler, alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Ravi Bishnoi, to reach this pinnacle in T20I cricket. The 34-year-old’s rise is a testament to his consistent and impactful performances in recent matches, particularly his outstanding spells during the ongoing Asia Cup.
Chakravarthy’s journey to the number one ranking was significantly boosted by his second career five-wicket haul earlier this year against England. His recent heroics in the Asia Cup, where he delivered exceptional figures of 1/4 against UAE and 1/24 against arch-rivals Pakistan, were crucial in his three-spot leap in the latest rankings update.
The updated rankings have brought forth several other notable changes across various categories. In the bowling charts, New Zealand’s Jacob Duffy has climbed to second place, while West Indies’ Akeal Hosein maintains his strong hold at third. Australia’s Adam Zampa has also seen a significant jump, now sitting in fourth position.
Further down the list, several other bowlers have made impressive strides. Sri Lanka’s Nuwan Thushara advanced six places to secure the sixth spot. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Sufiyan Muqeem and Abrar Ahmed moved up to 11th and 16th positions, respectively. India’s own Kuldeep Yadav made a substantial jump of 16 places, landing him at 23rd in the T20I bowling hierarchy.
On the batting front, India’s Abhishek Sharma has achieved a new career-high, seizing the No. 1 ranked T20I batter position after his stellar innings of 31 against Pakistan. England’s dynamic duo, Phil Salt and Jos Buttler, currently hold the second and third spots, respectively.
The batting rankings also witnessed considerable movement from South African players. Dewald Brevis climbed two places to 11th, and Aiden Markram made an impressive leap of 10 spots, now sharing the 30th position.
The Asia Cup tournament has clearly had a profound impact on individual player rankings. Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka moved up to sixth place, and Afghanistan’s explosive Rahmanullah Gurbaz advanced to the 19th spot. Bangladesh’s Tanzid Hasan and India’s Test captain Shubman Gill also improved their standings, now at 35th and 39th positions, respectively.
In the highly competitive all-rounders’ category, India’s Hardik Pandya continues to dominate, holding firmly onto his top position. Pakistan’s Saim Ayub saw a four-place rise, now sharing the fifth spot, while Abhishek Sharma, celebrating his batting success, also moved up four places to reach 14th in the all-rounder rankings.