India’s young batting sensation Abhishek Sharma has claimed the No. 1 spot in the latest ICC Men’s T20I Batting Rankings, leapfrogging Australia’s Travis Head. The left-handed opener now boasts a rating of 829, following his explosive performances in recent matches, including his match-winning 135 against England in Mumbai — the highest score of his short T20I career so far.
Sharma has played 17 T20I matches for India, scoring 535 runs at an impressive strike rate of 193.84 and an average of 33.43. His tally includes two centuries and two fifties, along with 46 fours and 41 sixes, highlighting his aggressive and fearless approach at the top of the order.
The updated ICC rankings show Sharma edging ahead of Head, who now sits second with 814 points, followed by India’s Tilak Varma in third. The top five also includes England’s Phil Salt and Jos Buttler, indicating a strong presence of attacking openers in world T20 cricket.
Sharma’s rise is a massive boost for Indian cricket as the team builds towards upcoming global T20 events. The 23-year-old has shown remarkable consistency and power-hitting prowess, drawing comparisons to some of India’s modern-day greats.
Notably, Sharma becomes the third Indian batter to hold the top T20I ranking in recent years, following in the footsteps of Suryakumar Yadav, who now ranks sixth with a rating of 739.
With his blend of aggressive strokeplay and maturity under pressure, Abhishek Sharma is quickly shaping up to be a cornerstone of India’s T20I setup — and a nightmare for bowlers around the world.
