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March 30, 2023With Pakistan’s series victory, Afghanistan will skyrocket in the rankings
International Ranking: Several Afghanistan players have benefited from their team’s historic T20I series triumph over Pakistan, with two of their bowlers making significant advancements in the most recent MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings. In a bilateral T20I series, Afghanistan defeated Pakistan for the first time. The major winner was star spinner Rashid Khan, who replaced Sri Lankan tweaker Wanindu Hasaranga as the best T20I bowler in the globe.
The 24-year-old Rashid initially gained top billing as the No. 1 T20I bowler who first appeared in the game’s shortest version in 2018 and has since proven to be a very dependable performer. The right-arm recorded a wicket against Pakistan in each of the three games that were played in Sharjah, with a particular highlight being his stingy economy rate in each of Afghanistan’s triumphs throughout the series’ opening two games
Fazalhaq Farooqi, a teammate of Rashid, stood out as the series’ top pacer with five wickets and a 4.75 economy rate. The left arm also jumped an impressive 12 ranks to finish third overall in the most recent rankings update. As a result, Afghanistan now has three bowlers ranked in the top 10 in the T20I category, with Mujeeb Ur Rahman, a spinner, rounding off the impressive trio in eighth place after taking four wickets in the series against Pakistan.
Babar Azam, the normal Pakistani captain, was rested throughout the series and fell to fourth position on the T20I batter rankings as a result. But, stand-in captain Shadab Khan excelled and received due credit in the most recent rankings update. In the T20I all-rounder rankings, Shadab moved up eight spaces to fourth and up six spots to 12th overall on the list for bowers, while colleague Mohammad Wasim moved up nine spots to 23rd in the same category.
After the series win over South Africa, several West Indies players have moved up the T20I rankings list. Beanpole fast Alzarri Joseph has climbed 17 spaces to number 33 among bowlers, while colleague Johnson Charles has climbed 92 spots to number 17 among batsmen. In what was a high-scoring and exciting series, South African hitters Rilee Rossouw (up two slots to sixth) and Reeza Hendricks (up eight spaces to 12th) both made significant progress.
With the conclusion of Zimbabwe’s series against the Netherlands and Australia’s away series in India, there was some change in the ODI rankings this week as well. Adam Zampa of Australia moved up three spots to sixth position overall on the list of ODI bowlers, while Sikandar Raza of Zimbabwe advanced one spot to fifth place among all-rounders. In the list of ODI hitters, India’s opener Shubman Gill reached a career-high rating of 738 points in fifth position, while skipper Rohit Sharma climbed one rank to eighth place overall.
Detail Analysis
The recent T20I series between Afghanistan and Pakistan has resulted in significant advancements for several Afghanistan players in the most recent MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings. The series marked the first time that Afghanistan defeated Pakistan in a bilateral T20I series, and the star of the show was the Afghan spinner, Rashid Khan. With his impressive performances in the series, Rashid Khan has replaced Sri Lankan tweaker Wanindu Hasaranga as the best T20I bowler in the world.
Rashid Khan has been a dependable performer in T20 cricket since his debut in 2018, and he has consistently been one of the top bowlers in the format. He recorded a wicket against Pakistan in each of the three games played in Sharjah, with his most notable contribution being his stingy economy rate in each of Afghanistan’s victories throughout the series’ opening two games. With his recent performances, Rashid Khan has cemented his position as the number-one T20I bowler in the world.
Rashid Khan is not the only Afghanistan player to have made significant advancements in the rankings following the series against Pakistan. Fazalhaq Farooqi, a teammate of Rashid, stood out as the series’ top pacer, with five wickets and a 4.75 economy rate. The left-arm pacer also jumped an impressive 12 ranks to finish third overall in the most recent rankings update. As a result, Afghanistan now has three bowlers ranked in the top 10 in the T20I category, with Mujeeb Ur Rahman, a spinner, rounding off the impressive trio in eighth place after taking four wickets in the series against Pakistan.
The series against Pakistan also saw stand-in captain Shadab Khan excel, with the Pakistani all-rounder receiving due credit in the most recent rankings update. Shadab Khan moved up eight spaces to fourth in the T20I all-rounder rankings and up six spots to 12th overall on the list for bowlers, while colleague Mohammad Wasim moved up nine spots to 23rd in the same category.
In addition to the series between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the recent series win by West Indies over South Africa has also resulted in several West Indies players moving up the T20I rankings list. Beanpole fast Alzarri Joseph has climbed 17 spaces to number 33 among bowlers, while colleague Johnson Charles has climbed 92 spots to number 17 among batsmen. South African hitters Rilee Rossouw (up two slots to sixth) and Reeza Hendricks (up eight spaces to 12th) both made significant progress in the rankings following their performances in the series against West Indies.
Apart from the T20I rankings, there were also some changes in the ODI rankings following the conclusion of Zimbabwe’s series against the Netherlands and Australia’s away series in India. Adam Zampa of Australia moved up three spots to sixth position overall on the list of ODI bowlers, while Sikandar Raza of Zimbabwe advanced one spot to fifth place among all-rounders. In the list of ODI hitters, India’s opener Shubman Gill reached a career-high rating of 738 points in fifth position, while skipper Rohit Sharma climbed one rank to eighth place overall.
The recent changes in the rankings demonstrate the impact that individual performances can have on a player’s ranking, as well as the importance of team performances in shaping the rankings. It also highlights the talent and potential of players from emerging cricket nations such as Afghanistan, who have consistently punched above their weight in international cricket. As cricket continues to evolve and expand, we will likely see more players from these nations making significant contributions to the sport and climbing up the rankings
