ICC Rankings: Varun Chakravarthy becomes No. 1 T20I bowler for the first time

Varun Chakaravarthy has ascended to the top of the ICC Men's T20I bowling rankings, joining Jasprit Bumrah and Ravi Bishnoi as the only Indian bowlers to achieve this. His impressive Asia Cup performances, including spells against UAE and Pakistan, propelled him to the number one spot. Abhishek Sharma has strengthened the No.1 batting spot after his innings against Pakistan.

Varun Chakravarthy of India bowls during the Asia Cup match between India and United Arab Emirates at Dubai International Stadium. (Getty Images)

Indian spinner Varun Chakaravarthy has claimed the top spot in the ICC Men's T20I bowling rankings in 2025, becoming only the third Indian bowler to achieve this feat after Jasprit Bumrah and Ravi Bishnoi. The 34-year-old's rise to the number one position comes after consistent performances in recent matches, including impressive spells in the ongoing Asia Cup. Chakaravarthy's ascent to the top ranking follows his second career five-wicket haul against England earlier in the year. His recent performances in the Asia Cup, where he recorded figures of 1/4 against UAE and 1/24 against Pakistan, contributed to his three-spot rise in the rankings.

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The rankings update has seen significant movements across different categories. New Zealand's Jacob Duffy has moved to second place, while West Indies' Akeal Hosein maintains his third position, and Australia's Adam Zampa has climbed to fourth in the bowling rankings. Several bowlers have made notable gains in the rankings. Sri Lanka's Nuwan Thushara has moved up six spots to sixth position, while Pakistan's Sufiyan Muqeem and Abrar Ahmed have risen to 11th and 16th positions respectively. India's Kuldeep Yadav has made a substantial jump of 16 places to reach the 23rd position. In the batting rankings, Abhishek Sharma has achieved a new career-high rating as the No. 1 ranked T20I batter following his innings of 31 against Pakistan. England's Phil Salt and Jos Buttler occupy the second and third positions, respectively. The batting rankings have witnessed multiple changes, with South African players making significant progress. Dewald Brevis has moved up two places to 11th, while Aiden Markram has advanced 10 spots to share the 30th position. The Asia Cup has influenced several players' rankings. Sri Lanka's Pathum Nissanka has moved up to sixth place, and Afghanistan's Rahmanullah Gurbaz has climbed to the 19th position. Bangladesh's Tanzid Hasan and India's Test captain Shubman Gill have also improved their rankings, moving to 35th and 39th positions respectively. In the all-rounders' category, India's Hardik Pandya maintains his position at the top. Pakistan's Saim Ayub has risen four places to share the fifth position, while Abhishek Sharma has moved up four spots to reach 14th place.

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