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The rise of Ishan Kishan continues as the Indian keeper-batter, for the first time in his career, claims the top position of the ICC Men's T20I Player Rankings for batters, surpassing his teammate Abhishek Sharma, who held the No.1 spot for a long time.
Ishan Kishan’s surge in the rankings came days after India’s T20I series against Ireland in Belfast, where the host claimed the two-match series by 2-0. As of now, with 876 ratings, Ishan is top of the table, with Abhishek Sharma slipping to second with a rating of 869.
ICC updated rankings with Ishan Kishan as the No.1 T20I batter
On July 1, on the first day of a fresh month, the International Cricket Council (ICC) issues the refreshed rankings. By claiming the top spot in the rankings, the captain of the Jharkhand state cricket team joins an elite group of players like Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav.
“Abhishek had held the top ranking for almost 12 months, with Kishan joining an exclusive group that includes Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav as one of four male players from India to have held the premier position for batters in T20I cricket,” ICC mentions in its official release.
2026 has been amazing so far for Ishan Kishan
The emergence of Ishan Kishan in the Indian colors caught the headlines days ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup. The top-order batter and the wicketkeeper had a brilliant domestic season with Jharkhand, as the captain of the team. He led the team to their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) during the 2025-26 season, which opened the gates for him to retain the spot in the national cricket team.
Ishan's inclusion was surprising, especially as the announcement was just a few days before the T20 World Cup. He proved the selectors' call on point by scoring runs regularly during India's home series against New Zealand. His run flow continues during the showcase tournament as well. Ishan Kishan played a pivotal role in India's domination in the 2026 T20 World Cup. Due to his continued form and helping the team win the trophy, he climbed up the ladder.
While Ishan Kishan was providing support to the batting order during the tournament, Abhishek Sharma was completely out of form. Abhishek recorded three consecutive ducks in the title race, which definetly put an negetive impact on his ratings in the ICC rankings for the T20I batters.
The India vs England T20I series can change the rating points again
Despite the differnece of forms between the two top-order batters, there is only a seven-rating-point difference between Ishan and Abhishek, which can be reduced during the matches against England.
Team India is all set to face England for a 5-match T20I series, starting tonight, in Birmingham. Abhishek Sharma, who scored a 50 against Ireland in the first of the two-match series, is expected to retain his spot alongside Ishan. The batting position of Ishan will be interesting to see, as he struggled in both of the matches against Ireland.
