India’s strong start to their T20I series against Afghanistan has brought plenty of movement in the latest ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings. The reigning T20 World Cup champions have already secured an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, with several players making important contributions across the opening two matches.

Abhishek Sharma has been the biggest beneficiary among India’s batters after his explosive 82 in the series opener. The left-hander climbed one place to second, while Ishan Kishan retained the top spot. Sanju Samson also moved up four places to 30th following his half-century in the second T20I.

Abhishek Sharma climbs to second in T20I batting rankings

Abhishek’s 82 in the opening match helped him move ahead of Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan in the latest rankings. He now sits second behind teammate Kishan, with the two Indian batters separated by 51 rating points. Samson was another Indian batter to make progress, climbing four places to 30th after his fine contribution in the second game.

Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai also made gains among the T20I all-rounders after scoring an unbeaten half-century in the series opener. India’s bowlers enjoyed an impressive update as well. Varun Chakaravarthy moved up two places to fifth, while Jasprit Bumrah climbed seven spots to 10th. Arshdeep Singh made an 11-place jump to 14th, with Axar Patel also moving six places to 27th.

Nathan Ellis, Matthew Renshaw rewarded after Zimbabwe win

Australia’s players also made their presence felt in the latest update after their 59-run victory over Zimbabwe in Harare. Nathan Ellis was one of the biggest movers, climbing 20 places to 20th in the ODI bowling rankings after taking a five-wicket haul in the series opener.

Matthew Renshaw was rewarded for his outstanding contribution with the bat. His 109 earned him the Player of the Match award and helped him make a huge jump from outside the top 100 to 68th in the ODI batting rankings. Young Australian batter Cooper Connolly also moved up nine places to 77th after scoring 51 while batting at No.3 against Zimbabwe. The trio’s gains reflect the impact of Australia’s strong opening performance in the ODI series.

Also READ: Sanju Samson gets the sweetest cheer from wife Charulatha after quickfire 57 in AFG vs IND 2nd T20I

Ollie Robinson reaches career-best third in Test rankings

England pacer Ollie Robinson reached a new career-best position in the Test bowling rankings, moving up two places to third after taking 21 wickets in the recent series against Pakistan. Josh Tongue also climbed two spots to 11th after claiming 19 wickets across the series.

Robinson’s half-century in the third Test helped him rise seven places to 13th among Test all-rounders. Pakistan captain Babar Azam moved up two places to 13th among Test batters, while Shan Masood climbed four spots to 37th. England wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith also rose three places to 20th.

Also READ: Matt Renshaw’s century and Nathan Ellis’ five-for guide Australia to big win over Zimbabwe in 1st ODI

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