Suryakumar Yadav rises to world number 1 in ICC T20I Rankings

Suryakumar Yadav has surpassed Pakistan veteran Mohammad Rizwan to take the top spot in the ICC T20I rankings, following an outstanding start to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in which the 32-year-old has scored back-to-back half-centuries against the Netherlands and South Africa. On Wednesday he scored 30 off 16 against Bangladesh as well.

Since making his international T20I debut in March of last year, the India dynamo has been a revelation, and his latest feat to dethrone Rizwan is a reward for his great recent run of form. Yadav has already scored eight half-centuries and one magnificent century in T20Is this year, and his two most recent runs in Australia suggest that the attacking right-hander has more to offer.

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Other batters also move up in the latest rankings

The India No.4 has scored 164 runs in four innings so far in Australia, and his elegant 68 against the Proteas on Sunday was a definite highlight. No one else appeared as at ease as him, despite the fact that Markram and Miller both scored 50 runs. He looked at ease against South Africa’s pacers and hit targeted Ngidi in his last over.

Virat Kohli has also moved into the top 10. Interestingly Virat Kohli occupied the number 1 rankings for the most part of 2016-17 when he was in his prime form. Yadav isn’t the only batter on the rise after a great start to the T20 World Cup, with South Africa’s Rilee Rossouw and New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips also making notable strides inside the top 10. Phillips moves up five spots to seventh on the latest batters list.