Pakistan players make big gains on latest rankings update

Good signs for Pakistan just months out from the start of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup as a host of their players make gains on the latest ICC Men's T20 Player Rankings.

The Asian side have won four of their five bilateral series in 2025, with their most recent success coming at home against South Africa as they registered an impressive 2-1 series triumph ahead of the next edition of the T20 World Cup.

A trio of players from Pakistan are rewarded for their efforts against the Proteas, with Babar Azam (up nine spots to equal 30th), Saim Ayub (up 10 places to 39th) and Salman Agha (up 10 rungs to 54th) all making ground on the list for T20I batters that is still led by India dasher Abhishek Sharma.

West Indies skipper Shai Hope (up two spots to 12th), Bangladesh left-hander Tanzid Hasan (up 20 places to 17th) and Afghanistan duo Rahmanullah Gurbaz (up three rungs to 15th) and Ibrahim Zadran (up six slots to 20th) also make ground up the list for T20I batters this week, while there are eye-catching gains for a host of players on the latest rankings for T20I bowlers.

Spinner Varun Chakravarthy remains out in front of the rankings for T20I bowlers, with Australia seamer Josh Hazlewood (up two spots to 10th) among the biggest improvers this week on the back of his exploits at home against India.

Bangladesh duo Mujeeb Ur Rahman (up 13 places to 14th) and Mahedi Hasan (up six rungs to equal 17th) and West Indies pair Jason Holder (up nine spots to equal 23rd) and Roston Chase (up 13 places to equal 38th) also make ground, while Zimbabwe veteran Sikandar Raza jumps up 32 positions to 33rd overall.

South Africa seamer Corbin Bosch (up 15 places to equal 38th) also catches the eye after finishing as the leading wicket-taker in the recent series with Pakistan, with Salman Mirza (45th) and Faheem Ashraf (51st) improving from outside the top 100 after their own efforts in that series.

Raza (up three spots to second) and Chase (up six places to third) also make hay on the list for T20I all-rounders, with Ayub remaining out in front with the top ranking following some decent efforts against the Proteas.

There are also some changes on the latest ODI rankings, with New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell rocketing up two spots to third overall on the list for batters on the back of his Player of the Series heroics at home against England.

Mitchell amassed 178 runs and was only dismissed once as the Black Caps claimed a 3-0 series sweep, with fellow Kiwi Rachin Ravindra (up four places to 14th) also making group on the list for ODI batters following his 117 runs across the three matches.

It wasn't all doom and gloom for England, with star quick Jofra Archer moving up two places to third overall behind Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan on the list for ODI bowlers after three wickets against New Zealand.