Abrar Ahmed Breaks into ICC T20I Top Five Rankings as Saim Ayub Slips to 55th
Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed has stormed into the top five of the ICC T20I player rankings, marking a career-best milestone after his standout performance in the ongoing ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025. The 26-year-old leg-spinner leapt 12 places following his match-winning spell against Sri Lanka in the Super Four stage on September 23, where he dismantled the opposition batting order.
In batting, opener Sahibzada Farhan also made headlines by jumping 31 spots to 24th with 589 points, powered by a crucial 58-run knock against arch-rivals India. Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha and senior opener Fakhar Zaman climbed three places each to reach 64th and 66th respectively.
Not all Pakistani stars enjoyed success in the latest rankings update. Senior duo Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, who have not featured in T20Is since 2024, continued to fall. Babar slipped nine places to 35th, while Rizwan dropped to 38th. Struggling youngster Saim Ayub endured another setback, sliding eight places to 55th after inconsistent performances. Middle-order batter Hasan Nawaz also fell 11 spots to 58th, and wicketkeeper Mohammad Haris slipped to 90th.
On the global stage, India’s Abhishek Sharma maintained his No. 1 position in the batting rankings, followed by England’s Phil Salt. Rising star Tilak Varma overtook Jos Buttler to claim third place, with Buttler now at fourth on 703 points.
Among bowlers, Pakistan’s pace duo impressed. Shaheen Afridi climbed to 25th and Haris Rauf moved up to 28th after strong Asia Cup outings. However, spinners faced mixed fortunes: Sufiyan Muqeem fell to 14th, Mohammad Nawaz tumbled 13 places to 46th, and Abbas Afridi slipped to 44th. India’s Varun Chakaravarthy held on to the No. 1 bowler spot, with New Zealand’s Jacob Duffy second and West Indies’ Akeal Hosein third.
In the all-rounders’ list, Saim Ayub retained his place at No. 5 despite his batting struggles, with Mohammad Nawaz rising one place to 17th. Veteran all-rounder Shadab Khan dropped five positions to 35th, while Faheem Ashraf surged 12 spots to 39th. Both Shaheen Afridi and Agha Salman registered significant gains, climbing into a joint 71st position.
India’s Hardik Pandya remains the world’s top-ranked T20I all-rounder, followed by Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi and Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza in second and third place.
Pakistan’s mixed fortunes in the latest ICC T20I rankings highlight the transition the team is undergoing, with rising stars like Abrar Ahmed and Sahibzada Farhan making strides, while senior stalwarts such as Babar Azam and Rizwan continue to slide.
Read more on Pakistan cricket rankings at MegaNews.tv
