Abrar Ahmed Displaces Rashid Khan as Top-Ranked T20I Bowler

Pakistan’s mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed has reached the top of the ICC Men’s T20I bowling rankings, replacing Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan as the world’s No. 1-ranked T20I bowler.

According to the latest ICC rankings update released on September 23, Abrar has moved to the summit with 736 rating points, while Rashid Khan has slipped to second place with 735 points. Australia’s Adam Zampa is third with 700-plus rating points.

Abrar Ahmed Reaches Career Milestone

The latest ranking represents a significant milestone for Abrar Ahmed, who has established himself as an important spin option for Pakistan in T20 cricket.

Abrar’s rise comes after a period of strong performances that helped him move up the rankings. His ability to bowl attacking leg-spin and googlies has made him a difficult opponent for batters, particularly in the middle overs.

With the latest move to No. 1, Abrar joins a select group of Pakistani bowlers who have previously reached the top of the T20I bowling rankings. The group includes Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Imad Wasim and Shahid Afridi.

Rashid Khan Drops to Second

Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan, one of the most successful T20 bowlers in international cricket, has moved down to second place.

Rashid had held the No. 1 position for around six months, but the latest update saw him fall behind Abrar by just one rating point. The extremely narrow gap shows how closely contested the top of the T20I bowling rankings has become.

Pakistan Bowlers in the Rankings

Several other Pakistani bowlers also feature prominently in the latest T20I rankings.

Mohammad Nawaz has retained eighth position with 658 points, while Salman Mirza is ranked 18th with 636 points. Shaheen Afridi is 33rd with 602 points.

Usman Tariq has moved up to 57th, while Sufiyan Muqeem is 63rd. Saim Ayub and Shadab Khan are also inside the top 100, with Haris Rauf climbing to 86th.

Sahibzada Farhan Remains Third Among Batters

Pakistan’s progress is not limited to the bowling rankings. Opener Sahibzada Farhan has retained third position in the ICC T20I batting rankings with 848 rating points.

India’s Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma occupy the first two positions, while Pakistan’s Saim Ayub has moved up to 39th. Babar Azam has also improved to 41st in the latest update.

A Major Moment for Pakistan Cricket

Abrar Ahmed’s move to the top of the T20I bowling rankings gives Pakistan another notable milestone in international cricket. The one-point difference between Abrar and Rashid also means the battle for the top position remains extremely close.

For Abrar, reaching No. 1 represents an important achievement in his international career and adds another high-profile name to Pakistan’s long history of leading T20I bowlers.

Source: ICC Rankings, Geo News, The News International and Dunya News.