ICC T20 rankings: Suryakumar Yadav edges closer to ousting Mohammad Rizwan as number one batter
In the latest ICC T20I rankings, Indian middle-order batter Suryakumar Yadav has reached closer to upstaging Pakistan opener Mohammad Rizwan. The right-handed batter is only 16 points away from Rizwan, who has 854 in his kitty.
Rizwan finished the seven-match T20I series against England at home as the leading run-getter with 316 runs at 63.20 with four fifties.
However, he missed the sixth T20I of the series and scored only a single in the decider, meaning that his top spot is not as consolidated as before.
Meanwhile, the Indian batter could have snatched the top spot if not for his failure on Tuesday in the third T20I against South Africa in Indore.
The 32-year-old perished for eight runs as Tristan Stubbs took a magnificent catch to dismiss him. Despite that single-figure score, the right-handed batter earned the player of the series award.
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However, the battle for the number one spot between Rizwan and Yadav will continue over the next month at the T20 World Cup in Australia.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam stays at third, but could still reclaim the top spot during the T20 World Cup Down Under.
KL Rahul surged to number 14 in the rankings after aggregating 108 runs from two games. England's Dawid Malan jumped one place to fifth following a productive series against Pakistan.
South African players Quinton de Kock moved to 12th from 20th, Rilee Rossouw jumped to 20th from 43rd, and David Miller to 29th from 10th.
Australia's Josh Hazlewood retained his number one spot, but South Africa's Tabraiz Shamsi and England's Adil Rashid plummeted three places inside the top ten.
As a result, Afghanistan's Rashid Khan (second), Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga (third), and Australia's Adam Zampa (fourth) moved up by two places.
Proteas left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj is the latest entrant into the top ten rankings after taking four wickets in three T20Is against India at an economy rate of 7.09.
"India's chances of winning the World Cup depend largely on Suryakumar Yadav's form" - Saba Karim
Meanwhile, former Indian cricketer Saba Karim hopes Yadav can keep his sublime form going and hailed his gifted ability to find gaps easily.
Karim said on Sports 18's show Sports Over The Top:
"Well, one thing I can say is - India's chances of winning the World Cup depend largely on Suryakumar Yadav's form and I say this because he plays in such a difficult position. In the middle overs, in the T20 format, playing with such a high strike rate is not so easy, but it comes so easy for Suryakumar Yadav because of his skill, experience and he's so dexterous."
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He added:
"He's got an uncanny ability to find the gaps in the right areas, at times he toys with the bowling and there are several vacant areas which he is able to exploit so easily."
India's 15-man squad for the World Cup will leave for Australia on Thursday. The Men in Blue will open their campaign against Pakistan on October 22 in Melbourne.