Abrar Ahmed Loses T20I Top Spot as Rashid Khan Returns

ISLAMABAD: (Sports Reporter) – Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed has lost the top spot in the ICC Men’s T20I bowling rankings, with Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan reclaiming the No. 1 position in the latest update released on Wednesday.

Abrar had moved to the summit on September 23, replacing Rashid after the Afghanistan spinner struggled during the three-match T20I series against India.

However, Abrar’s stay at the top proved brief as he dropped one place following the conclusion of the Asian Games in Japan.

The Pakistan spinner managed only one wicket in two matches at the continental event, allowing Rashid to return to the top despite the Afghanistan star not featuring in the competition.

The battle for the top position remains extremely close. Abrar is ranked second with 718 rating points, just two points behind Rashid.

Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz also dropped four places to 12th in the T20I bowling rankings, while fast bowler Salman Mirza slipped seven spots to 23rd.

India spinner Axar Patel was among the biggest risers in the bowling rankings, climbing 16 places to seventh.

Bangladesh’s Nasum Ahmed moved up three positions to eighth, while his teammate Mahedi Hasan jumped 10 places to ninth.

There was also significant movement in the T20I batting rankings, with India captain Shreyas Iyer breaking into the top 10 for the first time in his international career.

The 31-year-old climbed 18 places to seventh after scoring his maiden T20I century in the opening match of India’s five-game series against the West Indies.

West Indies batter Sherfane Rutherford also made notable progress after scoring a half-century in the same match. His performance lifted him 10 places to 37th in the latest T20I batting rankings.