Boost for India via rankings shuffle on eve of T20 World Cup

India's white-ball stars have received a major boost just days out from their ICC Men's T20 World Cup title defence as a host of their big names made ground on the latest update to the ICC Men's T20I Player Rankings.

Opener Abhishek Sharma has been rewarded for his strong form by increasing his lead at the top of the rankings for T20I batters, with the left-hander increasing his advantage at the top to 80 rating points following a pair of half-centuries across the first two games of the ongoing five-match series against New Zealand.

Abhishek's rating of 929 points is just two less than his career-high rating of 931 that he achieved during the Asia Cup last year, with England opener Phil Salt (849 rating points) still his closest challenger ahead of third-placed Tilak Varma (781).

There is another Indian player inside the top 10 too, with former No.1 ranked batter Suryakumar Yadav gaining five spots this week to move to seventh overall following his innings of 57* in the third T20I against the Black Caps in Guwahati.

This bodes well for India just 10 days out from the start of the T20 World Cup, with the side also boosted by gains for a host of other players following strong efforts against New Zealand.

Star pacer Jasprit Bumrah gains four places to move to 13th on the latest list for T20I bowlers after three wickets against the Kiwis in that third T20I, with teammate Varun Chakravarthy still at the top of that ranking category following a trio of wickets across the first two games of that series.

Hardik Pandya (up one spot to third) and Shivam Dube (up six rungs to 11th) make ground on the latest rankings for T20I all-rounders, with Zimbabwe veteran Sikandar Raza still out in front in that category heading into the T20 World Cup.

There are also gains for players from other sides following a host of T20I action around the world, with South Africa's Aiden Markram (up nine spots to 20th), West Indies hard-hitter Brandon King (up 15 places to equal 35th) and New Zealand all-rounder Glenn Phillips (up 18 rungs to 44th) all making good ground on the latest rankings for T20I batters.

Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman (up five rungs to ninth), South Africa pacer Corbin Bosch (up eight places to 32nd) and West Indies seamer Matthew Forde (up 19 spots to equal 47th) all make ground on the latest list for T20I bowlers, while Nepal's Dipendra Airee (up two spots to equal sixth) and Afghanistan's Azmatullah Omarzai (up three spots to equal sixth) are among the big movers on the rankings for T20I all-rounders.

The completion of the recent ODI series between Sri Lanka and England sees a host of players from both sides rewarded on the latest ODI rankings, with Harry Brook and Joe Root among the big winners on the updated list for batters.

The pair both made centuries in the third match of that series that England won 2-1, with Brook gaining 17 places to move to 11th and Root improving six spots to 17th as in-form New Zealander Daryl Mitchell stays in the No.1 spot for ODI batters.

England spinner Adil Rashid (up six places to fifth) is the big gainer on the latest list for ODI bowlers, while Sri Lanka's Charith Asalanka (up six places to equal 13th) is the eye-catcher on the updated rankings for ODI all-rounders.