Shaheen Afridi Emerges as Pakistan’s Top Bowler in T20I Rankings

Shaheen Afridi, Pakistan’s pace spearhead, has climbed two spots to rank 17th in the T20I bowlers’ rankings. His performance in the ongoing T20I series against New Zealand at home has been instrumental in this rise. The 24-year-old is currently the leading wicket-taker in the series, having played three matches so far.

In the series opener, which was marred by rain, Afridi claimed the only wicket. His impressive haul of 3/13 in the second match, which saw Pakistan secure a seven-wicket victory over the Kiwis, has propelled him past his teammate Haris Rauf, who now sits at the 22nd spot.

ICC Men’s T20I Bowling Rankings

England’s Adil Rashid continues to dominate the T20I rankings for bowlers, holding the No.1 spot. New Zealand’s Ish Sodhi has also made gains, thanks to his three-wicket haul in the series against Pakistan.

Sodhi’s performance improved over the course of the series, with figures of 1/18 in the second match and 2/25 in the Kiwis’ seven-wicket victory in the third match. This win levelled the series at 1-1, with two matches still to be played.

ICC Men’s T20I Batting Rankings

Indian cricketer Suryakumar Yadav continues to top the T20I rankings for batters. New Zealand’s Tim Seifert and Mark Chapman have also made significant strides in the series against Pakistan.

Seifert has moved up three places to 24th, while Chapman’s unbeaten half-century in the third match, which earned him the Player of the Match title, has resulted in a 12-place jump to 33rd overall.

Chapman’s remarkable innings of 87* off just 42 balls, which included four massive sixes, has been a highlight of the series.

Dipendra Singh Airee of Nepal has also achieved a new career-high rating in the T20I batters’ rankings. Airee recently became the third player to hit six sixes in an over in a T20I match, joining the ranks of Indian legend Yuvraj Singh and West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard.

This feat was achieved during Nepal’s match against Qatar at the ACC Men’s T20I Premier Cup. Airee continued his form in the third-place playoff at the same event.

#NEPvQAT #ACCMensPremierCup #ACC pic.twitter.com/72Itd5INE1

Airee’s unbeaten 44* off just 29 balls in the playoff match saw him climb another 10 spots in the T20I batters’ rankings, reaching a career-high 50th place. He is the fourth player from Nepal to reach the top 50 in batting, following Paras Khadka (42nd in September 2019), Kaushal Bhurtel (27th in March 2022), and Rohit Paudel (45th in March 2022).