Afghanistan’s Shahzad and Dawlat break into the top 10 of ICC T20I Player Rankings
There has been plenty of movement in the ICC T20I Player Rankings following the conclusion of the New Zealand-Sri Lanka and Afghanistan-Zimbabwe series.
The biggest movers in the latest rankings are Afghanistan’s wicketkeeper/batsman Mohammad Shahzad and fast bowler Dawlat Zadran. The two players have broken into the top 10 of the ICC T20I Player Rankings. For Shahzad, it’s the first time in his career.
The opening batsman has jumped 12 places to the eighth position after scoring 151 runs in two matches against Zimbabwe, including a 67-ball 118 not out in the second match. This is the highest T20I score ever by a batsman from an Associate Member and fourth overall.
Dawlat has squeezed his way into the top 10 of the ICC Player Rankings for T20I Bowlers, for a career-best eighth spot. This after Zadran took five wickets in the series, the highest by any bowler from either team, which has helped him move him up by six places. The medium-pace bowler bettering his previous best ranking of 10th achieved last year in Zimbabwe after a similar 2-0 series victory over the hosts.
Mohammad Nabi and Hamza Hotak have also benefitted from the series. Nabi has moved up five places to 20th while Hamza has vaulted 43 places to 38th position.
There is some good news for Zimbabwe as well, whose Graeme Cremer has achieved a career-high ranking of 14th. Cremer has gained six places after taking four wickets against Afghanistan.
Over in New Zealand, Martin Guptill and Colin Munro have stolen top honours.
Guptill, who broke his side’s record for fastest T20I half-century in the second match, has risen five places to fifth, while Munro, who improved Guptill’s record a few overs later in the same match has gained 28 places and is now in 66th spot.
Other batsmen to improve their rankings include Kane Williamson in 11th (up by three places), Angelo Mathews in 30th (up by eight places) and Ross Taylor in 41st (up by two places).
The batsmen’s list is headed by Australia’s Aaron Finch, followed by Virat Kohli of India and England’s Alex Hales.
The New Zealand bowlers to move up the order included Adam Milne, who has climbed four places to 36th in the latest rankings.
Samuel Badree of the West Indies is the number-one ranked bowler but India’s Ravichandran Ashwin has benefitted from Sachithra Senanayake and the injured Lasith Malinga’s slide to move into the second position.
In the ICC Player Rankings for T20I All-rounders, Angelo Mathews has achieved a career-best fifth position. The list is headed by Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan.
Below are the ranking tables:
| Ranking | Batsman | Country | Points |
| 1 | Aaron Finch | Australia | 854 |
| 2 | Virat Kohli | India | 845 |
| 3 | Alex Hales | England | 795 |
| 4 | Faf du Plessis | South Africa | 758 |
| 5 | Chris Gayle | West Indies | 703 |
| 6 | Martin Guptill | New Zealand | 703 |
| 7 | Brendon McCullum | New Zealand | 684 |
| 8 | Mohammad Shahzad | Afghanistan | 681 |
| 9 | Kusal Perera | Sri Lanka | 678 |
| 10 | Eoin Morgan | England | 665 |
| Ranking | Bowler | Country | Points |
| 1 | Samuel Badree | West Indies | 751 |
| 2 | Ravichandran Ashwin | India | 681 |
| 3 | Sachitra Senanayake | Sri Lanka | 671 |
| 4 | Shahid Afridi | Pakistan | 670 |
| 5 | Mitchell Starc | Australia | 659 |
| 6 | Lasith Malinga | Sri Lanka | 657 |
| 7 | Imran Tahir | South Africa | 641 |
| 8 | Dawlat Zadran | Afghanistan | 636 |
| 9 | Nuwan Kulasekara | Sri Lanka | 628 |
| 10 | Shakib Al Hasan | Bangladesh | 626 |
| Rankings | All-rounder | Country | Points |
| 1 | Shakib Al Hasan | Bangladesh | 362 |
| 2 | Shahid Afridi | Pakistan | 330 |
| 3 | Shane Watson | Australia | 304 |
| 4 | Mohammad Hafeez | Pakistan | 303 |
| 5 | Angelo Mathews | Sri Lanka | 289 |