Varun Chakaravarthy has etched his name in cricketing history by becoming the No. 1 ranked T20I bowler in the ICC rankings for the first time. The 34-year-old mystery spinner is only the third Indian ever to reach the top of the list, following in the footsteps of Jasprit Bumrah and Ravi Bishnoi.
Chakaravarthy's latest leap came on the back of a stellar Asia Cup campaign. He delivered miserly spells of 1/4 against UAE and 1/24 against Pakistan, both of which proved pivotal in India's progress. These performances vaulted him three spots upward, surpassing New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy, who had been at the summit since March. Earlier in February, Chakaravarthy had briefly touched the No. 2 position, but this update marks his most significant career
milestone yet.
India's spinners, as a group, enjoyed an impressive rankings update. Kuldeep Yadav jumped 16 places to 23rd, while Axar Patel climbed to 12th, continuing his consistency in both departments. Jasprit Bumrah also gained ground, moving up four spots to 40th among bowlers.
The update brought good news for India's all-rounders too. Hardik Pandya maintained his dominance as the world's No. 1 T20I all-rounder, while Abhishek Sharma consolidated his hold as the top-ranked T20I batter. Abhishek's rapid-fire contributions - 30 off 16 balls versus UAE and 31 off 13 against Pakistan - boosted him to a career-best 884 points, strengthening his position at the summit.
However, it wasn't smooth sailing for all Indian batters. Tilak Varma slipped to fourth, while captain Suryakumar Yadav dropped to seventh, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, absent from the Asia Cup squad, fell to 13th. In contrast, Shubman Gill gained ground, moving to 39th.
Globally, England's opening pair also made headlines. Phil Salt's explosive 141 off 60 balls against South Africa*, the fastest T20 hundred by an Englishman, has put him within striking distance of reclaiming the top spot. Meanwhile, Jos Buttler's whirlwind 83 from 30 deliveries powered him to 794 rating points and into the top three for the first time in his career.
With Chakaravarthy's rise, India now boasts the No. 1 T20I bowler, all-rounder, and batter - a rare trifecta highlighting the country's depth and dominance in the shortest format.
