Star Player replaces Babar Azam from Top T20I rankings: Here's the new No. 1 Ranked Batsman
Paksitan's skipper Babar Azam's streak of 1155 days has been over as his fellow countryman and wicket-keeper batsman, Mohammad Rizwan, dethroned him from the top T20I batsman rankings on Wednesday. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has released the latest rankings and it has ended a long streak.
Rizwan, who has been in incredible form in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022, has got his well-deserved reward. He is now the new No. 1 ranked T20I batter in the world. The 30-year-old has performed brilliantly in the tournament and is the current leading run-scorer.
He has scored 192 runs in three matches at an excellent average of 96, including two consecutive half-centuries. He started the competition with a 42-ball 43 against India. Then, he scored a match-winning half-century and made 78* off 57 balls against Hong Kong and won the "Man of the Match" award.
Later, he also played a match-turning innings against India in the first match of the "super four" stage. He scored 71 off 51 balls to help his team chase down the big total. Thus, now he is at the top with 815 rating points, while Babar is second with 794 rating points.
A new No.1 👀
— ICC (@ICC) September 7, 2022
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has been dethroned at the top of the @MRFWorldwide ICC Men's T20I Player Rankings for batters👇https://t.co/Uz4IN73bj8
The Pakistani skipper has performed badly so far and has the scores of 10, 9 and 14 in the tournament. Suryakumar Yadav, who was third before, has dropped one spot and is now fourth with a rating of 775. SKY couldn't play a big innings against Pakistan and Sri Lanka, which cost him.
While South African batter Aiden Markram has jumped to third place with 792 rating points. Notably, after the innings of 72 runs against Sri Lanka, the Indian skipper, Rohit Sharma, has moved four places up to the 13th spot.
The Afghan opener, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who is in excellent form, jumped 14 spots. After an outstanding 84-run innings against Sri Lanka, he is currently ranked fifteenth.