India's Abhishek Sharma surged to second place in the latest ICC T20I batting rankings released on Wednesday, 16 September, while teammate Ishan Kishan held firm at the summit — a double boost for the reigning T20 World Cup champions who have already secured an unassailable 2-0 lead in their three-match series against Afghanistan.

Abhishek, Kishan Lead India's T20I Batting Surge

Abhishek moved up one place on the back of his blistering 82 in the series opener, overtaking Pakistan's Sahibzada Farhan in the process. The left-hander now trails Kishan by 51 rating points, with the latter continuing to lead the global T20I batting chart. Sanju Samson was another Indian batter to make significant strides, climbing four places to 30th after a fine half-century in the second match against Afghanistan.

Indian Bowlers Register Sharp Climbs

India's bowling department also registered notable gains across the board. Varun Chakravarthy rose two places to fifth, while Jasprit Bumrah made an impressive seven-place jump to 10th. Arshdeep Singh climbed 11 places to 14th — the biggest single-series jump among India's bowlers — and Axar Patel rose six places to 27th after a strong collective display against the hosts. Afghanistan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai also moved up the T20I all-rounder rankings following an unbeaten half-century in the opening match.

Australia Make ODI Gains After Zimbabwe Win

Three Australian players benefited from their team's 59-run victory over Zimbabwe in the series opener in Harare. Pacer Nathan Ellis rocketed 20 places to 20th among ODI bowlers after claiming a five-wicket haul, while Matthew Renshaw — named Player of the Match for his 109 — leapt from outside the top 100 to 68th among ODI batters. Cooper Connolly climbed nine places to 77th in ODI batting after scoring 51 at number three against Zimbabwe.

England Pacers Reach Career-High Test Rankings

In the Test rankings, England pacer Ollie Robinson reached a new career-high rating and moved two places to third among bowlers after claiming 21 wickets in the recent three-Test series against Pakistan. Teammate Josh Tongue also achieved a career-best ranking, climbing two places to 11th following 19 wickets in the same series. Robinson's half-century in the third Test at Birmingham additionally lifted him seven places to 13th in the Test all-rounder rankings. England wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith rose three places to 20th after his half-century in the first innings of that match.

Babar, Masood Rise Despite Pakistan's Series Whitewash

Despite Pakistan's 3-0 series defeat to England, skipper Babar Azam climbed two places to 13th among Test batters, while Shan Masood moved four places to 37th for his batting in the final match. The rankings cycle reflects a broader pattern where individual performances can yield personal gains even within team defeats — a nuance that could shape selection debates heading into Pakistan's next assignments.