Dubai: Middle-order batters Mark Chapman of New Zealand and Iftikhar Ahmed of Pakistan have attained career-best positions among batters in the latest ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings released on Wednesday, after the end of their five-match series that ended 2-2 in the last week.
In the batters’ rankings list led by India batter Suryakumar Yadav, who is the lone batter from his country in top ten, Chapman has rocketed 48 places to 35th in the rankings. The left-handed batter smashed unbeaten knocks of 71 off 42 deliveries and 104 off 57 balls in the last two matches to finish with a series topping aggregate of 290 runs.
Chapman’s previous best T20I batting ranking was 54th attained in February 2018.
Iftikhar, who scored 36 in the final match, has jumped six places to joint-38th position. He is the third-highest ranked Pakistan batter after wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan (up from 798 rating points to 811 after scoring 98 not out in the final match) and captain Babar Azam, who are ranked second and third in the list. Iftikhar’s previous best was 43rd position in November last year.
Other players to move up the T20I rankings after the series are New Zealand players Chad Bowes (up 82 places to 118th in the batting rankings) and leg-spinner Ish Sodhi (up two places to 14th in the bowling rankings) while Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim has moved up all three lists.
Imad is up 15 places to 127th after scoring 31 in the final match, while his hauls of three for 19 and two 21 have lifted him 120 places to 93rd. He is also up 44 places to 24th among all-rounders.
In the weekly Men’s ODI rankings update, which considers performances in the Oman-Nepal match of the ACC Men’s Premier Cup in Kirtipur, Nepal leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane has moved up one slot to 22nd position among bowlers after finishing with three for 45 while Kushal Malla’s 108 off 64 balls has lifted him 35 places to 110th position.
Oman’s left-arm spinner Zeeshan Maqsood has moved up two places to 49th in the bowling rankings.
(IANS)
