Star bowler becomes No. 1 for first time as India sweep T20I titles ahead of IND vs OMA Asia Cup 2025 match

Team India's overwhelming dominance in the 2025 Asia Cup and overall T20Is was reflected by star spinner Varun Chakaravarthy becoming the No. 1 T20I spinner in the latest ICC rankings. With Varun's ascent to the top, India now boasts the No. 1-ranked player in the T20I batting, bowling, and all-rounder rankings.

Opener Abhishek Sharma recently became the top-ranked T20I batter, while Hardik Pandya remains at the mountain top among T20I all-rounders. Coming to Varun, the 34-year-old has been on an incredible run in T20Is since his return to the Indian side in October last year.

The wily spinner enjoyed a phenomenal 2024/25 season in T20Is, picking up 31 wickets in 12 matches at an average of 11.25 and an economy of 7.58. Varun has continued his excellent form in the ongoing 2025 Asia Cup, with a wicket each at an economy of 4.66 in India's first two games.

His relentless efforts have played a key role in the Men in Blue dismantling the UAE and Pakistan with ease and advancing to the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup. Varun became the No. 1 T20I bowler for the first time in his career, while joining Jasprit Bumrah and Ravi Bishnoi as the only Indian bowlers to top the T20I bowler rankings.

Players aside, Team India are also the top-ranked T20I side in the world, having won a remarkable 27 out of their last 30 matches.

A look at the other gainers from the Asia Cup 2025 in the latest ICC Men's T20I rankings

Varun Chakaravarthy's spin-bowling partner, Kuldeep Yadav, made a massive leap in the ICC T20I rankings amid the ongoing 2025 Asia Cup. The left-arm spinner jumped 16 places from 39th to 23rd, thanks to his outstanding performances in the tournament.

Kuldeep has picked up seven wickets in two games at an average of 3.57 and an economy of 4.05, while earning Player of the Match honors on both occasions. Other gainers in the bowling department included Sri Lankan pacer Nuwan Thushara, moving up by six spots to No. 6, and the Pakistan spin duo of Sufiyan Muqeem and Abrar Ahmed, moving up to 11th and 16th, respectively.

In the batter rankings, Sri Lanka's Pathum Nissanka moved up a place to No. 6, while Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz moved into the top 20 with a two-spot climb. Bangladesh's Tanzid Hasan and India's Shubman Gill each moved up by four spots to be ranked 35th and 39th, respectively.

Finally, Pakistan's Saim Ayub and India's Abhishek Sharma each moved up by four to become the joint-fifth and the 14th-ranked T20I all-rounders in the world.

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Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran