India's middle-order mainstays Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya have moved up in the recently released International Cricket Council (ICC) Men's T20I Player Rankings after their respective quickfire knocks in the losing cause against Australia on September 20. Suryakumar surpassed Pakistan skipper Babar Azam to reach the third spot with 780 rating points.
Suryakumar has a chance to go past South Africa's Aiden Markram with two more T20Is left in the series against the Aussies. Suryakumar is just 12 points behind the Proteas batter. In the first T20I, he scored 25-ball 46 to help India recover from the early powerplay blows.
Pakistan's wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan is on the top with 825 rating points. Rizwan scored a half-century against England in the first T20I on September 20.
On the other hand, Pandya made a huge jump in the rankings after his career-best unbeaten 71 against Australia to help India post 208/6. Pandya made moved up 23 places to reach 65th place. Currently, he has 446 rating points. He is just two places behind Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant.
Pandya moved up two places in the all-rounder rankings too. He is now ranked fifth in the list led by Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan. He went past Australia's Glenn Maxwell and Namibia's JJ Smit.
Former India skipper Virat Kohli slipped one place after a single-digit score in Mohali. Kohli and Jos Buttler who did not play the first T20I against Pakistan due to calf injury are tied with 591 rating points.
Indian opener KL Rahul answered his strike rate critics in style with a 35-ball 55 including four fours and three sixes. Rahul moved up five spots and reached 18th spot with 587 rating points, just four points shy of Kohli.
After a finishing masterclass against India to help Australia pull off their second-highest successful run chase, wicketkeeper-batter Matthew Wade gained five places as well. Wade is placed 68th after an unbeaten 45 off 21 deliveries to help Australia get over the line with four balls to spare.
