India retain No. 1 spot ahead of Australia in T20I team rankings

India have retained their No. 1 position in the ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings following the annual update released by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday.

With a rating of 271 points, the reigning T20 World Cup champions are nine clear of second-placed Australia.

The latest ICC rankings include an annual update, which rates all matches played since May 2024 at 100 per cent and those of the previous two years at 50 per cent.

The past year saw the Indian men’s cricket team win the T20 World Cup, followed by 3-0 sweeps over Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, apart from other series wins over England, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

There are no other changes in the top six, with England, New Zealand, the West Indies and South Africa following in that order. Sri Lanka have overtaken Pakistan to seventh position.

In the T20I batting rankings, updated last month, Australia’s Travis Head continues to lead with 856 points. India’s Abhishek Sharma is hot on his heels with 829, followed by England’s Phil Salt (815), India’s Tilak Varma (804), and T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav (739) completing the top five.

India’s Hardik Pandya continues to top the T20I all-rounder rankings while spinner Varun Chakaravarthy is the top-rated Indian bowler in the format at No. 3.

Meanwhile, Australia lead the women’s T20I team rankings, with England in second and India in third. Australia’s Beth Mooney, England’s Sophie Ecclestone and West Indies’ Hayley Matthews remain No. 1 in the women’s T20I batting, bowling, and all-rounder charts, respectively.

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