India’s Abhishek Sharma has edged past Sunrisers Hyderabad team-mate Travis Head to become the top-ranked T20I batter, ending the Australian’s 13-month stay at the summit.
Head has not featured in the format since September 2024 and chose to rest during Australia’s recent five-match trip to the West Indies. The absence cost him vital ranking points and opened the door for Abhishek, who surged to the front on the back of a 54-ball 135 against England in February. He is now the third Indian – after Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav – to occupy the No. 1 spot.
“It’s satisfying to see the hard work pay off,” Abhishek told the BCCI media team shortly after the list was updated. “But rankings change quickly. Consistency is the real challenge.”
In Barbados, Josh Inglis collected 172 runs and moved six places to ninth, while Shai Hope’s series-defining hundred kept him in tenth. Tim David’s record-breaking Australian century pushed him 12 slots higher to 18th, and Brandon King made a nine-place jump. The biggest leap, however, came from Cameron Green, whose all-round displays carried him 64 rungs to 24th.
Fast bowler Nathan Ellis also profited, climbing nine places to joint-eighth among T20I bowlers. Former quick Shaun Tait, analysing on television, noted: “Ellis hits the top of off at will and backs it up with smart slower balls. Selectors value that reliability.”
Test update
Across formats, England captain Ben Stokes combined a century with a five-for at Old Trafford and rose three spots to No. 3 on the Test all-rounder chart. India’s Ravindra Jadeja still leads that list following a typically influential series. Washington Sundar’s maiden Test ton in Manchester lifted him eight positions to joint-13th, earning a career-best 193 points.
Head, speaking to Cricket Australia before the West Indies series, accepted the temporary slide. “The body needed a breather, and this window felt right,” he said. Despite the drop, he remains well within striking distance should he return later in the year.
Full men’s rankings – both team and individual – are available on the ICC website.
