Bhuvneshwar Kumar Becomes India's Highest-Ranked Bowler In The ICC T20I Rankings

India’s new-ball pacer in white-ball cricket, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, has become their highest-ranked bowler in T20 international cricket. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is one of the most penetrative pacers with the new ball in the limited-overs format, capable of swinging it both ways. The 31-year old has surged to the 16th spot in the newly-released standings.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar earned the man of the match in the first T20I against Sri Lanka, ending up with figures of 3.4-0-22-4. The Meerut-born seamer recovered from a lean run in the ODI series before that to deliver an impactful performance straightaway. Kumar’s best figures in T20I cricket helped India defend a modest 164 to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Before the T20 series in Sri Lanka, Kumar was exceptional in the home series against England too. The right-arm seamer was economical for the most part, helping the men in blue oust England in a high-scoring rubber. Meanwhile, Krunal Pandya’s positive COVID-19 case on Tuesday forced the final two T20Is to be rescheduled.

Apart from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal has surged in the ICC rankings:

Aside from India’s vice-captain Bhuvneshwar Kumar, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal’s performance has lifted him in the standings too. With 551 rating points under his belt, the Haryana-born leggie is at the 21st spot. He delivered a miserly spell of 4-0-19-1 in the first T20I, helping India control the flow of runs. Kumar’s new-ball bowling partner Deepak Chahar has gained in the standings as well, rising to the 34th spot. He grabbed a couple of wickets in the opening T20I.

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