ICC Ranking Update: Abhishek Sharma Rises to No. 2 in T20I Batting, Bumrah Enters Top 10 Bowlers

Why 'icc ranking' is trending in India

Indian cricket fans have been searching for the latest ICC ranking changes after the home T20I series against Afghanistan, where India took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match contest in Delhi. Google Trends recorded roughly 500 searches for the term in India over a 24-hour window around 18 September 2026 — a signal of search interest, not confirmation of any single news claim. The underlying story is real, though: the ICC's weekly update published on 16 September 2026 rewarded several Indian players for their performances in the series, as detailed by the Times of India.

Abhishek Sharma jumps to No. 2 among T20I batters

The biggest Indian mover was opener Abhishek Sharma. His unbeaten 82 in the series opener lifted him one spot to second in the T20I batting chart. In doing so, he went past Pakistan's Sahibzada Farhan, leaving only one man ahead of him — his own teammate Ishan Kishan, who retains the No. 1 position. The gap between the two Indians stands at 51 rating points, so another strong series could put the top spot within Abhishek's reach. Sanju Samson also gained ground, moving up four places to 30th after a half-century in the second T20I.

Bumrah breaks into the top 10 among bowlers

India's bowlers enjoyed an even broader boost in the same update. Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy advanced two places to fifth, while Jasprit Bumrah made the headline leap — up seven spots to 10th, his first entry into the T20I top 10 in this ranking cycle. Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh produced the largest jump of the group, surging 11 places to 14th, and all-rounder Axar Patel climbed six spots to 27th. Afghanistan's Azmatullah Omarzai also progressed in the all-rounder list after an unbeaten fifty in the opener.

Test and ODI movements in the same update

The 16 September ICC release covered other formats too. England seamer Ollie Robinson reached a career-best third in the Test bowling rankings after 21 wickets in the home series against Pakistan, with teammate Josh Tongue rising to 11th. Pakistan's Babar Azam moved up to 13th among Test batters. In ODIs, Australia's Nathan Ellis vaulted 20 places to 20th among bowlers after a five-wicket haul against Zimbabwe, while Matthew Renshaw leapt from outside the top 100 to 68th among batters following a match-winning 109.

How to verify the latest standings

ICC rankings are recalculated after every round of international matches, so positions can shift quickly. The figures above reflect the update published on 16 September 2026. For the current standings at any time, check the official tables on the ICC rankings page, which lists team, batting, bowling and all-rounder rankings across formats for both men's and women's cricket.