Dubai: Following a standout performance in the ongoing Asia Cup, Indian vice-captain Smriti Mandhana achieved her career-best rating points in women’s ODI rankings for batters, while Indian opener Abhishek Sharma made a similar leap in the men’s T20I rankings. Sharma’s explosive innings of 74 runs off 39 balls against Pakistan propelled him to a career-high of 907 rating points, surpassing England’s Phil Salt by 63 points.
Sharma entered the Asia Cup at the top of the ICC rankings and had previously recorded several innings in the 30s before delivering a decisive performance against Pakistan. Tilak Varma, another Indian left-hander, has moved up to the third position, while England’s Jos Buttler has dropped down a spot.
In the latest rankings movements, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav and Sri Lankan opener Pathum Nissanka exchanged positions, despite Yadav’s recent duck and Nissanka’s modest score of 8 runs against Pakistan. Tim David and Dewald Brevis complete the top 10 among T20I batters.
Notable advancements this week include Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan, who surged 31 places to No. 24 after scoring 58 against India and a quick 15-ball 24 against Sri Lanka. Shubman Gill and Towhid Hridoy each rose by seven places, while Sri Lankan skipper Dasun Shanaka climbed 10 spots to joint 47th following a half-century against Bangladesh. Mohammad Nabi also benefited from a strong performance, moving up 13 places after scoring 60 runs against Sri Lanka.
As the Asia Cup approaches its conclusion, further shifts in the T20I rankings are anticipated across all categories.