(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
Pakistan Bowlers Shine in ICC T20I Rankings After UAE Tri-Series Triumph
Pakistan’s dominant run in the UAE T20I Tri-Nation Series has brought major rewards in the latest ICC Men’s T20I rankings, with several bowlers climbing the charts after standout performances.
The Green Shirts sealed the title with a commanding 75-run win over Afghanistan in the Sharjah final, thanks largely to their bowling unit.
Left-arm spinner Sufiyan Muqeem rose seven places to 15th after taking two key wickets in the decider, while pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi moved up four spots to 22nd. The biggest mover was mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed, who leapt an impressive 39 places to joint-27th after bagging six wickets in just two games.
The standout performer was Mohammad Nawaz, who earned the Player of the Series award for his 10 wickets. His consistency pushed him up 13 spots to 30th in the ICC T20I bowlers’ rankings.
At the top, New Zealand’s Jacob Duffy continues to hold the No.1 position, followed by England’s Adil Rashid and West Indies’ Akeal Hosein.
ICC Men’s T20I Bowlers Rankings (Top 5):
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Jacob Duffy – New Zealand – 717 points
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Adil Rashid – England – 710 points
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Akeal Hosein – West Indies – 707 points
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Varun Chakaravarthy – India – 706 points
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Adam Zampa – Australia – 700 points
On the batting side, Fakhar Zaman surged nine places to 68th after scoring 155 runs across the tournament, cementing his reputation as one of Pakistan’s most reliable hitters. Captain Salman Ali Agha also gained two spots to 57th. However, Saim Ayub (41), Hassan Nawaz (35), and Sahibzada Farhan (73) slipped in the rankings, while senior batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan continued their decline due to absence from the team.
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ICC Men’s T20I Batters Rankings (Top 5):
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Abhishek Sharma – India – 829 points
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Tilak Varma – India – 804 points
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Phil Salt – England – 791 points
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Jos Buttler – England – 772 points
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Travis Head – Australia – 771 points
Pakistan’s rise in the bowling charts provides a timely boost ahead of a packed T20 calendar, which includes the Asia Cup 2025 and builds towards next year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. With Nawaz, Muqeem, and Abrar stepping up alongside Afridi, the national side looks to have struck the right balance of spin and pace to challenge the best in the world.
