RCB and Jay Shah - (Source: AFP)
On Wednesday, April 1, the ICC updated their weekly rankings. There wasn’t much international cricket around in the past week due to the IPL and PSL, which are now underway in India and Pakistan.
Nonetheless, cricketers from South Africa and New Zealand were rewarded heavily for their performance in the recently concluded five-match T20I series. The Proteas got the better of the black caps and outshone the hosts despite naming a second-string squad.
IPL Reject Connor Esterhuizen Rise 64 Spots
In the recently concluded T20I series, South Africa’s Connor Esterhuizen was the star player and won the player of the series award for his 200 runs in the series. The 24-year-old averaged 50 and batted with a strike-rate of 145.99, which included two fifty-plus scores.
Notably, before the start of the series, Connor Esterhuizen was ranked outside the top 100. However, he jumped 64 spots to now rank 39th in the world with a rating of 551. With this jump, Esterhuizen is now the 5th highest-ranked Proteas in the list.
Who Is Connor Esterhuizen?
The 24-year-old made his T20I debut in the recently concluded T20I series against New Zealand. The right-handed batter represents Lions in the domestic cricket. Notably, Connor has been associated with IPL's sister franchises and still failed to bag an IPL contract.
Notably, Connor Esterhuizen represented Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in ILT20 and featured for MI Cape Town in SA20 from 2024-25. For the recently concluded season, the right-handed batter played for Pretoria Capitals under the guidance of Sourav Ganguly.
He played 11 games for Pretoria Capitals and amassed 166 runs in 11 innings. However, he failed to score in the final and registered a duck.
Also Read: No India, No Tournament- England Shuts Down ICC's Full Member's Massive Program
Conner Esterhuizen’s jump was also the biggest in this week’s ranking update across all ICC categories. Interestingly, IPL teams missed out on the opportunity to have the 24-year-old in their teams.
The youngster had given his name for the 2026 mini-auction, but failed to make the final list. However, he is still eligible to be picked for the league as a replacement in case of an injury.
RCB Star Demoted, Abhishek Sharma and Rest Extend Stay At Top
Abhishek Sharma, who had a disappointing T20 World Cup 2026, continues to extend his run as the No. 1-ranked T20I batter.
Meanwhile, Ishan Kishan is not far away and is second on the list. Any changes at the top are unlikely for the next two months, because these top stars are busy playing franchise cricket.
Other than Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya is No.2 on the T20I all-rounders list in the latest ICC rankings.
He is only behind Sikandar Raza on the list. In the bowlers’ category, Varun Chakaravarthy is second on the list, behind Rashid Khan, while Jasprit Bumrah is the 5th best T20I bowler in the world as per ICC.
Notably, Jacob Duffy slipped two spots and is now ranked 31 on the list. The 31-year-old didn't play the T20I series against South Africa, which affected his ranking. However, he has done well for RCB and picked up a three-wicket haul.
Also Read: Bhanuka Rajapaksa In Illegal Scandal With An Actress
