India's hard-hitting in-form opener Ishan Kishan has climbed as many as 68 places to enter top 10 list of T20I batting rankings. On the back of consistent performances in the ongoing T20I series against South Africa at home, Kishan is now placed seventh in the newly-released T20I batter's rankings.
Kishan has so far scored 164 runs in the T20I series at an average of 54.67 including two half-centuries. Currently, he is the only Indian batter in the top 10.
Rohit, Kohli slip
Rested after Skipper Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have slid in the rankings. Rohit is now placed sixth whereas Kohli has been pushed out of the top 20. The leading run-scorer in T20Is is now placed 21st.
Iyer, Rahul slip too
Also, Shreyas Iyer who has not scored a half-century against South Africa in the series is now ranked 17th. KL Rahul who got injured before the home T20I series, has slid two places and occupies the 14th spot.
Pak duo dominate
Currently, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam is leading the men’s T20I batter rankings followed by teammate Mohammad Rizwan, South Africa's Aiden Markram, England's Dawid Malan and Australian captain Aaron Finch. Markram could have played catch-up with Rizwan had he not contracted Covid-19 before the first T20I against India at Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium, Delhi.
Hazlewood’s huge achievement
In the bowling department, Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood has risen to the top, going past England leg-spinner Adil Rashid and South Africa chinaman bowler Tabraiz Shamsi. Hazlewood is the first Australian pacer to achieve the no.1 spot after Nathan Bracken in 2008.
He took six wickets in the recently-concluded three-T20I series against Sri Lanka which includes a four-wicket haul.
It is a huge achievement for the 31-year-old as he was not a part of Australia's T20I squad for nearly five years between 2016 and 2020.
Bhuvneshwar closest to top 10
There is no Indian bowler in the top. Placed at third, Shamsi is followed by Afghanistan leggie Rashid Khan and Australia's Adam Zampa. The closest Indian bowler to the top 10 is Bhuvneshwar Kumar who climbed three places after taking a four-wicket haul in the second T20I.
