Ishan Kishan Dethrones Abhishek Sharma To Become No 1 T20I Batter

Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan [Source: AFP]In a major development, the International Cricket Council (ICC) released its latest ODI, Test and T20I player rankings on Wednesday. The biggest highlight of the latest update is that India wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan has dethroned Abhishek Sharma to become the new No.1 batter in the ICC Men’s T20I batting rankings.Notably, Abhishek Sharma had held the top spot for almost 12 months. However, Ishan’s consistent performances over the past few months have helped him move to the summit of the rankings for the first time in his career. The updated rankings were released after India’s disappointing T20I series defeat against Ireland in Belfast.Ishan Kishan Climbs To The Top Of ICC T20I RankingsDespite India’s poor outing against Ireland, Ishan Kishan has climbed to the No.1 position in the latest ICC rankings. The left-handed batter now sits at the top with 876 rating points, while Abhishek Sharma has slipped to the second spot with 869 rating points.Notably, this is the first time that Ishan Kishan has become the No.1 T20I batter in the world.The 27-year-old earned the top ranking after playing an important role in India’s successful T20 World Cup 2026 campaign on home soil. He scored 317 runs in nine innings at an average of 35.22 and a strike rate of 193.29. Also Read: Tilak Varma’s Spin Issues and His Ideal Role in India’s New EraHowever, the Ireland series did not go as planned for Ishan Kishan. The wicketkeeper-batter struggled with the bat and managed just 13 runs in two innings.Ishan Kishan finished the two-match series with an average of 6.50 and a strike rate of 81.25. Nevertheless, his excellent performances before the Ireland tour were enough to help him climb to the top of the ICC rankings.With this achievement, Ishan has also become just the fourth Indian batter to reach the No 1 spot in the T20I batting rankings after Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, and Abhishek Sharma.Meanwhile, Pakistan batter Sahibzada Farhan continues to occupy the third position. England opener Phil Salt is ranked fourth, while Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka completes the top five.Rashid Khan Retains No 1 Spot Among T20I BowlersMeanwhile, there have also been changes in the ICC T20I bowling rankings.Afghanistan star Rashid Khan has retained his place as the No.1 T20I bowler in the world. However, India’s Varun Chakaravarthy has slipped to the third spot after missing the two-match T20I series against Ireland because of injury.In addition, Jasprit Bumrah has dropped to the sixth position. On the other hand, Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel have remained unchanged at No.16 and No.19, respectively.Travis Head Becomes New No 1 Test BatterApart from the T20I rankings, there has also been a significant change in the ICC Test batting rankings. Australia stylish batter Travis Head has climbed to the No.1 spot, replacing England stars Joe Root and Harry Brook at the top.Notably, Travis Head now leads the rankings with 853 rating points, while Harry Brook is just one point behind on 852.Interestingly, Travis Head has not played a Test match for the last six months, with his previous appearance coming during the 2025-26 Ashes series.Meanwhile, Joe Root has slipped from the No.1 position to third after a relatively quiet Test series against New Zealand. The England batter scored 171 runs in six innings, including just one half-century, which resulted in him losing the top spot in the latest ICC rankings.Also Read: Shreyas Iyer Drops Suryakumar Yadav’s 1st Official Message After T20I Captaincy Switch