Sikandar Raza, a star player from Zimbabwe, has achieved a remarkable milestone by becoming the top-ranked all-rounder in the latest ICC Men's T20I Player Rankings. This accolade comes after his impressive performances during the ongoing tri-series involving Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Zimbabwe. In a recent match against Sri Lanka, Raza scored 37 runs and bowled four economical overs, even though Zimbabwe faced a nine-wicket defeat. His outstanding play has allowed him to surpass Pakistan's Saim Ayub and claim the premier position for the first time in his 13-year international career. Raza has remained within the top ten since the 2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup, exemplifying his consistency in the shortest format of cricket. Additionally, he was named the number one ODI all-rounder in September and currently holds the second rank in that category for one-day matches. Meanwhile, Ayub has slipped to second in the T20I all-rounder rankings, but his teammate Mohammad Nawaz has risen to seventh. There have been notable movements among other players as well, with Sahibzada Farhan climbing to fourth among T20I batters and former captain Babar Azam improving to 29th place following a strong performance. Raza’s achievement highlights a dynamic week in the ICC rankings across all formats. In the ODI category, veteran Indian batsman Rohit Sharma reclaimed the top position from New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell, who missed two matches due to a series sweep over the West Indies, which affected his ranking points. Although Mitchell dropped, teammates Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway made strides in the batting charts. Meanwhile, improvements are also seen in the ODI bowlers' rankings for New Zealand. Changes were not limited to T20I and ODI formats; Australian players also made significant gains in the Test rankings after their success against England. Travis Head excelled with a match-winning performance, moving up to sixth place in the Test batting rankings. Ollie Pope of England also improved his standing. This week saw several Australian and Bangladeshi players jump in the rankings due to their impressive showings, with Mitchell Starc notably climbing to fifth among Test bowlers and achieving a career-high rating. Notably, Ben Stokes moved up to second among Test all-rounders, showcasing the competitive nature of international cricket rankings.
Sikandar Raza Rises to Top T20I All-Rounder Rank Amid ICC Changes
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Image source: ICC website
Sikandar Raza of Zimbabwe has been named the top T20I all-rounder in the latest ICC rankings following his performance during the tri-series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. This marks Raza's first-time achievement of this status in his 13-year career. Additionally, significant ranking changes were noted in ODI and Test formats, particularly with Rohit Sharma reclaiming the ODI batting top spot and Travis Head rising in Test rankings after Australia's victory over England. The ICC rankings reflect the shifting dynamics among international cricket players.