Sanju Samson, who was named the Player of the Tournament in the 2026 T20 World Cup, has jumped 18 places in the ICC batting rankings and is now ranked No. 22. The wicketkeeper-batter scored three consecutive half-centuries in crucial matches, including the semifinal and the final.
He finished as India’s top run-scorer in the tournament and the third-highest overall. Before the important virtual knockout match against the West Indies, Samson was ranked No. 65. But after several match-winning performances that helped India win their third T20 World Cup, he moved up quickly in the rankings.
He also achieved a career-best rating of 637 points after scoring 89 runs off 46 balls in the final. Meanwhile, Abhishek Sharma, who is currently the No. 1-ranked T20I batter, was close to losing his top position after a poor World Cup campaign where he scored only 89 runs in seven matches before the semifinal.
However, he managed to keep his No. 1 ranking thanks to a record-breaking 18-ball half-century in the final. His opening partner, Ishan Kishan, also had an excellent tournament. After scoring a half-century in the final, he moved up a few spots in the rankings and is now the No. 2-ranked T20I batter in the world.
T20 World Cup 2026 impact: Rashid Khan rises to No.1 T20I bowler; Varun Chakaravarthyloses top spot
India’s mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy is no longer the No.1 T20I bowler in the ICC rankingsafter a poor performance in the later stages of the 2026 T20 World Cup. The top position is now held by Afghanistan’s star spinner Rashid Khan, who has 753 rating points after performing well in the tournament in the subcontinent.
Even though Chakaravarthy ended the tournament as the joint-highest wicket-taker, he managed to take only five wickets in five matches after the group stage. In four of those matches, his economy rate was above 10 runs per over, meaning he gave away too many runs. One of his worst performances came in the semifinal against England at Wankhede Stadium, where he conceded 64 runs in four overs and took just one wicket.
Not long ago, Chakaravarthy had reached a career-best rating of 818. During India’s home series against South Africa in late 2025, he had a big lead in the rankings thanks to that performance. However, his rating has now dropped to 740, and he is only slightly ahead of other spinners like Abrar Ahmed and Adil Rashid.
Meanwhile, India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has moved up one place to No.6 in the rankingsafter taking four wickets in the final against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium. However, his fast-bowling partner Arshdeep Singh has dropped three places after some average performances in the final stages of the tournament.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates
