Axar Patel Spins into Top 3 of ICC T20I Rankings Ahead of T20 World Cup 2024

Indian left-arm spin all-rounder Axar Patel has achieved a significant milestone in his career by breaking into the top three of the International Cricket Council (ICC)’s men’s T20I rankings. This marks the first time that Patel has reached this position, placing him just behind England’s Adil Rashid and Sri Lanka‘s Wanindu Hasaranga. Patel’s rise comes just before the 2024 T20 World Cup, set to begin on Sunday.

Patel’s ascent to the third spot is notable, considering he has not played any international cricket for months. His climb was facilitated by West Indies’ Akeal Hosein slipping five spots after the Men in Maroon’s series against South Africa. As a result, Patel moved up to the third position, with Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana, India’s Ravi Bishnoi, Australia‘s Josh Hazlewood, and Afghanistan‘s Rashid Khan each moving up a place in the rankings as well.

Despite now being ranked joint-fourth, Ravi Bishnoi is not part of India’s World Cup squad. New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner and Indian left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh also made gains, moving to the 15th and 16th spots, respectively, while West Indies’ Alzarri Joseph and South Africa’s Anrich Nortje dropped down.

England, India, and Sri Lanka are the only teams with two players each in the ICC top 10 rankings for men’s T20 bowlers ahead of the World Cup.

In the ICC men’s T20 batters’ rankings, England captain Jos Buttler rose to seventh place, replacing South Africa’s Rilee Roussow, who dropped to 10th. Buttler’s rise came after he and other English players left the IPL 2024 midway to participate in the Pakistan-England series. West Indies’ Brandon King also made a significant jump, climbing five places to eighth position. Meanwhile, India’s Suryakumar Yadav, England’s Phil Salt, Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam, and South Africa’s Aiden Markram retained their positions in the top five. Further down the chart, West Indies’ Nicholas Pooran fell to 18th.

The T20 World Cup will commence with a match between the US and Canada at the Grand Prairie Stadium on June 1.

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