Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's IPL Teammate Surpasses Him In ICC T20I Rankings

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi overtaken by his RR teammate in ICC T20I rankings [Source- AFP]

In a significant development, the ICC released the updated player rankings on Wednesday, September 9. India's young batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was demoted by two places in the T20I batters' list, while his IPL teammate Lhuan-dre Pretorius made remarkable progress after his batting exploits in the recently concluded tri-series between South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. 

Among others, destructive South African batter Connor Esterhuizen and Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus made notable gains, with Zimbabwe all-rounder Brad Evans also being rewarded for his praiseworthy performance in the tri-series. 

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi outshone by RR teammate Lhuan-dre Pretorius in ICC rankings

Swashbuckling South African batter Lhuan-dre Pretorius enjoyed stellar success in the T20I tri-series in Namibia. The left-hander hammered 226 runs, including a scintillating hundred, at an average of 56.50 and a strike rate of 179.37, playing a pivotal role in South Africa's title triumph after a disastrous defeat to Namibia. 

His remarkable consistency helped Lhuan-dre Pretorius jump 61 spots to the joint 43rd alongside Babar Azam in the ICC T20I rankings for batters. He surpassed his Rajasthan Royals teammate Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has now been demoted by two places to the 49th position. 

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Having said that, Lhuan-dre Pretorius is currently recovering from a groin injury, and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has a golden opportunity to overtake him by making his bat do the talking in the upcoming India vs Afghanistan T20I series. 

Connor Esterhuizen, Gerhard Erasmus among biggest gainers

Connor Esterhuizen was one of the most impactful batters for South Africa in the T20I tri-series in Namibia. He amassed 126 runs, including a crucial 32-run knock in the final, at a blistering strike rate of 172.60. 

Esterhuizen's 40-ball 88 helped South Africa post a mammoth total of 228 runs in the sixth match of the tri-series, eventually defending it to secure their berth in the final. The right-handed batter rose 65 spots to the 25th with a career-best rating of 627 points. 

Although Namibia failed to qualify for the tri-series final at home, their captain Gerhard Erasmus led from the front, scoring 149 runs and scalping five wickets in the competition. His valiant effort powered Erasmus into the top ten of the all-rounders' list, as he finished the week as the eighth-ranked T20I player in the category. 

Erasmus also moved 16 places up to the 55th in the batters' list, while Louren Steenkamp's position surged by 32 slots to the joint 73rd after he concluded the T20I tri-series with 122 runs across four outings. 

Brad Evans, Sikandar Raza lead Zimbabwe's ICC rankings movement

Brad Evans achieved a historic feat as he slammed the highest individual score by a Zimbabwean number eight batter against South Africa in the tri-series final. Evans was instrumental to the Chevrons' success with the ball, finishing the series with 10 wickets in five matches. 

His excellent returns with bat and ball propelled Brad Evans to the 25th on the all-rounders list, making a progress of 14 slots in ICC T20I rankings. Evans also moved four places up to the 22nd in the bowlers' list. 

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza retained the first spot in the all-rounders' category, leading the second-ranked Saim Ayub by a decisive margin of 46 points. He also jumped two places up to 27th on the bowlers' list, having scalped three wickets in the T20I tri-series. 

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