Ishan Kishan is the new No. 1 in the ICC Men’s T20I batting rankings, ending Abhishek Sharma’s year-long reign at the top.
Kishan’s rise follows a blistering 2026 campaign, capped by his exploits at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. He racked up 317 runs at a strike rate just shy of 200, finishing as the tournament’s fourth-highest scorer. His match-winning knock against Pakistan in Colombo, which earned him Player of the Match honors, proved pivotal in India’s successful title defense.
The latest ICC update gives Kishan 876 rating points, edging past Abhishek Sharma’s 869. Only three other Indian men. Virat Kohli. Suryakumar Yadav, and Abhishek Sharma, have ever led the T20I batting rankings. Suryakumar, meanwhile, has dropped to eighth.
Abhishek’s stint at the summit lasted nearly a year. Kishan’s recent form, including strong outings in the T20 World Cup and the two-match series against Ireland, pushed him ahead. Even as India lost 2-0 in Belfast. Kishan’s individual brilliance was enough to claim the top spot.
Here’s how the T20I batting top five now stands:
| Rank | Player | Rating Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ishan Kishan | 876 |
| 2 | Abhishek Sharma | 869 |
| 3 | Sahibzada Farhan | 848 |
| 4 | Phil Salt | 792 |
| 5 | Pathum Nissanka | 751 |
Shivam Dube also made strides among T20I allrounders, climbing three places to seventh after contributing with both bat and ball in Ireland. Dube scored 45 runs and took three wickets at an average of 14.33, with an economy rate of 7.16. His efforts couldn’t prevent defeat, but they did boost his ranking.
Test cricket has a new leader too. Australia’s Travis Head claims the No. 1 spot for the first time, overtaking England’s Harry Brook. Head sits at 853 rating points, just one ahead of Brook. Joe Root, after a lean series against New Zealand where he managed only 171 runs at 28.50, has slipped to third with 840.
The top five Test batters:
| Rank | Player | Rating Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Travis Head | 853 |
| 2 | Harry Brook | 852 |
| 3 | Joe Root | 840 |
| 4 | Steve Smith | 831 |
| 5 | Temba Bavuma | 775 |
Root’s slide follows his displacement from the top, with Brook holding on to second. Ben Duckett of England and New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell. Devon Conway, and Tom Latham have all climbed after strong Test series performances.
On the bowling side. Jasprit Bumrah has reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the Test rankings, moving ahead of New Zealand’s Matt Henry. Bumrah benefited from Henry’s absence at Trent Bridge due to injury. In T20Is. Varun Chakravarthy and Bumrah each slipped one place, now sitting third and sixth respectively.
Shubman Gill has also made a move, rising to second in the ODI rankings after starting at fifth.
Kishan’s ascent underlines the ongoing influence of Indian batters in T20Is. He joins a select group of Indian cricketers who have topped global rankings. For a look at how betting markets react to such player surges, see this breakdown of bookmaker tools.
Travis Head’s emergence at the top of the Test batting rankings signals a shift in the format’s hierarchy. England’s traditional grip at the summit faces a challenge from Australia’s left-hander. Joe Root, long a fixture in the top two, now finds himself at third as new contenders rise.
Jasprit Bumrah’s return to the No. 1 Test bowling spot highlights his ability to seize opportunities as rivals falter or miss matches.
