India’s rising star Abhishek Sharma has etched his name in cricketing history by setting a world record in the ICC Men’s T20I Batter Rankings. The left-handed opener climbed to the top with a career-best rating of 931 points, surpassing a mark that had stood for nearly five years.
Abhishek Breaks Long-standing Record
Abhishek achieved the feat after scoring a stylish half-century in India’s Asia Cup 2025 victory over Sri Lanka. His record-breaking rating eclipsed the previous best of 919 points, set by England’s Dawid Malan in 2020. In doing so, the 25-year-old also overtook the highest rankings ever achieved by Indian stalwarts Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kohli, firmly establishing himself as the top T20I batter in the world.
Player of the Tournament
Having made his international debut just last year, Abhishek showcased remarkable consistency throughout the Asia Cup. He finished the tournament as Player of the Tournament, amassing 314 runs at an average of 44.85, including three match-winning half-centuries. His lead at the top is commanding, with England’s Phil Salt trailing by 82 points, while India’s Tilak Varma holds third position following his tally of 213 runs in the same tournament.
Other Major Rankings Shifts
- Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka jumped two spots to a career-high fifth after scoring 261 runs.
- Kusal Perera (Sri Lanka) climbed to ninth, Sahibzada Farhan (Pakistan) rose 11 places to 13th, and Sanju Samson (India) moved up eight places to 31st.
- In bowling, Varun Chakravarthy retained his No. 1 rank with seven wickets, while Kuldeep Yadav (India), Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan), and Rishad Hossain (Bangladesh) made significant gains.
Saim Ayub Tops All-Rounder Rankings
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Saim Ayub replaced India’s Hardik Pandya as the No. 1-ranked all-rounder. Ayub’s excellent Asia Cup campaign, highlighted by eight wickets, propelled him four places up to claim the top spot. Pandya slipped to second, eight points behind Ayub, while Pakistan’s Mohammad Nawaz and Sri Lanka’s Charith Asalanka also improved their positions in the all-rounder rankings.
With this record-breaking achievement, Abhishek Sharma has not only cemented his place as India’s next batting sensation but also signalled a potential new era of dominance in world T20 cricket.