Shreyas Iyer rockets to career-best 7th in ICC T20I rankings after maiden ton
Synopsis
Shreyas Iyer's blazing 102 off 43 balls wasn't just a match-winner — it shot him 18 places to a career-best 7th in the ICC T20I rankings, leaving India with an unprecedented four batters in the global top 10. Meanwhile, Shubman Gill's unbeaten 223 in Guwahati has cemented his grip at the top of the ODI rankings, making October 2026 a landmark month for Indian cricket across formats.
Key Takeaways
Shreyas Iyer surged 18 places to a career-best 7th in the ICC Men's T20I Batting Rankings after his unbeaten 102 off 43 balls vs West Indies in Lucknow .
India now has four batters in the global T20I top 10 : Ishan Kishan (1st), Abhishek Sharma (2nd), Shreyas Iyer (7th), and Tilak Varma (10th).
Shubman Gill equalled his career-best ODI rating of 841 after an unbeaten 223 in Guwahati — the highest score in a successful ODI run chase.
Rashid Khan reclaimed the No.
1 T20I bowling spot for an eighth distinct spell , having spent more than twice as long at the top as any other bowler in T20I history.
Axar Patel leapt 16 places to 7th in T20I bowling, while Pakistan's Hasan Nawaz made a massive jump of 62 places to 48th .
KL Rahul returned to the ODI batting top 10 after his unbeaten 129 in New Chandigarh.
India T20I captain Shreyas Iyer has surged 18 places to a career-best seventh position in the ICC Men's T20I Batting Rankings after smashing a breathtaking maiden international century against the West Indies in Lucknow. The latest rankings update confirms India's extraordinary depth at the top of global T20 batting.
Iyer's Match-Winning Masterclass
Iyer's unbeaten 102 off 43 balls — studded with 10 boundaries and 6 sixes — powered the reigning World Champions to a comfortable eight-wicket victory with 32 balls to spare at the BRSABV Ekana Cricket Ground on Tuesday. The knock was a textbook captain's innings in the shortest format, combining controlled aggression with ruthless shot-making from the outset.
The century propels Iyer to become India's third-highest-ranked T20I batter, cementing a remarkable personal milestone in his captaincy stint. The win also underlined India's dominance in home conditions.
India Now Has Four Batters in Global T20I Top 10
India's batting stocks in the shortest format are at an unprecedented high. Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan leads the global T20I rankings, followed by opener Abhishek Sharma at second. Vice-captain Tilak Varma sits at 10th, and Iyer's jump to seventh means India now boasts four batters inside the global top 10 simultaneously — a testament to the team's batting resources.
Shubman Gill Consolidates ODI Summit
In 50-over cricket, ODI captain Shubman Gill reinforced his grip at the top of the ICC Men's ODI Batting Rankings after striking an unbeaten 223 in the second ODI against the West Indies in Guwahati. The innings — the highest individual score in a successful ODI run chase — earned him 25 rating points, equalling his career-best tally of 841. Former captain Virat Kohli slipped one place to third as a result.
West Indies captain Shai Hope rose two places to sixth in the ODI batting list after his match-winning 162 not out in the final ODI in New Chandigarh, while India wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul returned to the ODI top 10 courtesy of his unbeaten 129 in the same fixture.
Bowling Rankings: Rashid Khan Reclaims the Summit
Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan returned to the top spot in T20I bowling rankings for an eighth distinct spell, overtaking Pakistan's Abrar Ahmed, whose returns of 0/29 and 1/29 in the Asian Games semifinals and final were insufficient to protect his lead. Notably, Rashid has now spent more than twice as long at number one than any other bowler in T20I history.
India left-arm spin all-rounder Axar Patel made significant strides, leaping 16 places to seventh after claiming two wickets in each of his last three appearances. Bangladesh's Nasum Ahmed climbed to eighth and Mahedi Hasan to ninth, while Sri Lanka's Nuwan Thushara advanced 18 places to 48th.
Other Notable Movers Across Formats
West Indies batter Sherfane Rutherford gained 10 places to 37th in T20I batting after his brisk 56 in Lucknow. Teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi climbed eight spots to 46th following his Asian Games outings, while Pakistan's Hasan Nawaz — who reportedly gave India an almighty scare in the final — made a massive leap of 62 places to reach 48th.
In the ODI bowling charts, West Indies fast bowler Jayden Seales jumped 12 places into the top 10 at 10th spot after picking up three wickets in New Chandigarh. USA's Milind Kumar jumped four places to 45th after an unbeaten 116 off 84 balls to seal a historic 331-run chase against the UAE in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 in Dallas. The rankings cycle will next update following the upcoming bilateral series, and India's cluster at the summit shows no signs of loosening.
Point of View
Two openers capable of redefining powerplay arithmetic, and now a captain who can finish at a strike rate above 230. The harder question is whether this concentration at the top flatters a system that still lacks proven lower-order hitters in dead-rubber conditions. Iyer's century also arrives at a politically significant moment in his captaincy — silencing, at least for now, any debate about the T20I captaincy hierarchy ahead of the next World Cup cycle.
NationPress
7 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Shreyas Iyer's current ICC T20I batting ranking?
Shreyas Iyer is currently ranked 7th in the ICC Men's T20I Batting Rankings — a career-best position — after surging 18 places following his unbeaten 102 off 43 balls against the West Indies in Lucknow. This makes him India's third-highest-ranked T20I batter.
How many Indian batters are in the ICC T20I top 10?
India has four batters in the global T20I top 10 after the latest rankings update: Ishan Kishan (1st), Abhishek Sharma (2nd), Shreyas Iyer (7th), and Tilak Varma (10th). This is an unprecedented cluster for any single nation in recent T20I history.
What record did Shubman Gill set in the ODI rankings?
Shubman Gill consolidated his position at the top of the ICC Men's ODI Batting Rankings with a career-best rating of 841 after scoring an unbeaten 223 against the West Indies in Guwahati. That innings was the highest individual score ever made in a successful ODI run chase.
Who is ranked No. 1 in ICC T20I bowling rankings?
Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan has reclaimed the No. 1 spot in T20I bowling for an eighth distinct spell, overtaking Pakistan's Abrar Ahmed. Rashid has now spent more than twice as long at the top position as any other bowler in T20I history.
What was the result of India vs West Indies T20I in Lucknow?
India defeated the West Indies by eight wickets with 32 balls to spare at the BRSABV Ekana Cricket Ground in Lucknow. Shreyas Iyer's unbeaten 102 off 43 balls — featuring 10 boundaries and six sixes — was the centrepiece of the comfortable victory.
