Abhishek Sharma Beats Travis Head, Tilak Varma, And Jos Buttler To ICC T20I Rankings Without Playing A Game – Abhishek Sharma has entered the history books by becoming just the fourth Indian batter to reach the No. 1 spot in the ICC T20I rankings. Only Virat Kohli, Gautam Gambhir, and Suryakumar Yadav have achieved this before him. In the latest rankings released by the ICC on July 30, Abhishek was ranked the top T20I batter in the world.
He knocked his Sunrisers Hyderabad teammate, Travis Head, off the top spot. Abhishek now leads the rankings with 829 points, followed by Head at 814. Tilak Varma sits in third place with 804 points, while Phil Salt (791) and Jos Buttler (772) round out the top five.
A Remarkable Achievement
What makes this even more impressive is that India hasn’t played any T20Is in the last six months. Their only T20I series of the year happened back in late January to early February when England toured India. After that, India focused more on ODI cricket, including a series win over England, followed by the Champions Trophy. Then came the IPL and the ongoing Test series in England.
How Did Abhishek Sharma Climb to No. 1 Without Playing?
Even though Abhishek hasn’t played a T20I since February 2, he still rose to the top of the rankings. That’s because Travis Head, who was at No. 1, didn’t play any T20Is recently. Australia swept West Indies 5-0 without him, so Head lost ranking points, and Abhishek moved up. Head is expected to return to T20I action in August when Australia hosts South Africa. His last T20I was in September 2024.
What’s Next for Abhishek Sharma?
We’ll see Abhishek in T20I action next during the Asia Cup, which will be held in the UAE from September 9 to 28. He’s in great form, scoring 279 runs in his last T20I series with an average of 55.80 and a blistering strike rate of 219.69. That series included a century and a fifty.
Abhishek’s T20I Stats So Far
Abhishek made his T20I debut in July 2024 and has already made a strong mark. In just 17 games, he has scored 535 runs at an average of 33.4 and an incredible strike rate of 193.85. He’s hit two centuries and two fifties, with a highest score of 135 against England. Still only 23, Abhishek has plenty of time to shine even more. So far, he hasn’t played ODIs or Tests for India, but with performances like this, it might just be a matter of time.
ALSO READ: ENG vs IND: Shubman Gill Channels Rohit Sharma, Forgets Team Change At Toss
