(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
Pakistan’s Saim Ayub Breaks Into ICC T20 All-Rounders Top Five
September 17, 2025
Pakistani cricket fans may be anxious over the team’s performance at the ongoing Asia Cup, but the latest ICC T20 rankings have provided a bright spot, with young all-rounder Saim Ayub achieving a career-best ranking.
The 23-year-old left-hander, regarded as one of Pakistan’s most promising talents, has climbed to fifth place in the ICC T20 all-rounders rankings. Despite a quiet patch with the bat, Saim currently sits second in the wicket-takers list at the Asia Cup, highlighting his growing value as a dual-threat player.
ICC T20 All-Rounders Rankings (Top 5):
| Pos | Country | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | Hardik Pandya | 237 |
| 2 | Afghanistan | Mohammad Nabi | 213 |
| 3 | Zimbabwe | Sikandar Raza | 210 |
| 4 | Nepal | Dipendra Singh Airee | 209 |
| =5 | West Indies | Roston Chase | 196 |
| =5 | Pakistan | Saim Ayub | 196 |
Several other Pakistani players also saw improvements in the latest update:
-
Sufiyan Muqeen: now 11th
-
Abrar Ahmed: jumped 11 spots to 16th
Some experienced slight drops: Shaheen Afridi (27), Mohammad Nawaz (33), and Haris Rauf (37).
Bowling Rankings
Pakistan’s spinners have impressed, though the top spots are held by international stars:
ICC T20I Bowlers Rankings (Top 5):
| Pos | Country | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | Varun Chakaravarthy | 733 |
| 2 | New Zealand | Jacob Duffy | 717 |
| 3 | West Indies | Akeal Hosein | 707 |
| 4 | Australia | Adam Zampa | 700 |
| 5 | England | Adil Rashid | 696 |
Batting Rankings
Emerging talent Sahibzada Farhan climbed 18 places to 55th, while Mohammad Haris entered the top 100 at 89. Others, including Salman Ali Agha (67), Hassan Nawaz (47), and Fakhar Zaman (69), dropped slightly due to limited runs during the Asia Cup.
ICC T20I Batters Rankings (Top 5):
| Pos | Country | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | Abhishek Sharma | 884 |
| 2 | England | Phil Salt | 838 |
| 3 | England | Jos Buttler | 794 |
| 4 | India | Tilak Varma | 792 |
| 5 | Australia | Travis Head | 771 |
Saim Ayub’s rise signals Pakistan’s potential to develop versatile, multi-skilled cricketers. With emerging talents like him and consistent performances from the squad, Pakistan’s T20 future looks promising, even amid current tournament challenges.
