Ishan Kishan becomes No.1 T20I batter in ICC rankings
India’s star wicket-keeper batter Ishan Kishan has been rewarded for his incredible recent performance in T20Is by becoming the number one ranked player on the latest ICC Men's T20I Batter Rankings. He overtakes his own team-mate Abhishek Sharma and claims the top position for the first time in his career, in the latest update of ICC rankings on Wednesday.
The past year has been truly spectacular for Ishan Kishan, who had been dropped from the team in 2023 due to poor form. A player who had once even lost his central contract has now once again scaled the heights of success.
After losing his central contract, he started his hard work. He participated in county cricket, regularly played in domestic cricket. Under his captaincy, Jharkhand won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 title, in which he amassed 517 runs with an average of 51.44, including 2 centuries & 2 half-centuries. Given his brilliant performance, he was included in India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad.
Ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, he also featured in the India vs New Zealand 5-match T20I series, where he scored 215 runs in 4 innings, including a century and half-century. Sanju Samson was struggling with his batting form, which caused him to be dropped from the World Cup’s first choice playing XI and Ishan Kishan became the opener. Kishan’s brilliant form continued throughout the World Cup. He scored 317 runs in 9 innings, including 3 half-centuries. He smashed fifties against Pakistan, Namibia and New Zealand in the finals.
The wicket-keeper batter has now 876 ratings, while Abhishek Sharma has 869. He is currently on the England tour, where he wants to score a lot of runs, and contribute his team to another away T20I series victory.
Ishan Kishan has emerged as a key player for India's white-ball team. After establishing himself in the T20I squad, he has now made a comeback to the ODI setup as well. His ability to bat at any position and his wicket-keeping skills set him apart from other players. He is currently a strong contender for a spot in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 squad.
The Bihar born cricketer is currently touring England with Team India. He recently had the opportunity to play in two T20I matches against Ireland but managed cricket score of only 1 and 12. He will be looking to showcase his batting prowess once again during the England series.
