Australia opener Travis Head has dethroned Suryakumar Yadav as the number-one batter in the latest ICC T20 rankings, announced on Wednesday. Suryakumar had held the top spot since December 2023, but Head’s outstanding performance in the T20 World Cup propelled him to the summit, even though his team has been knocked out of the tournament. Head amassed 255 runs, including two half-centuries and a notable 76 against India in a Super Eight match.

While Head is currently just two points ahead of Suryakumar, the Indian batter has the opportunity to reclaim the number-one position as India continues its campaign in the T20 World Cup. Meanwhile, England’s Phil Salt, and Pakistan’s duo of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, round out the top five batters in the rankings.

West Indies’ Johnson Charles is a new entrant into the top ten, climbing four spots. Afghanistan’s star player Rahmanullah Gurbaz also made significant progress, moving up five spots, but sits just outside the top ten. Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah made a notable leap of 44 places, securing the 24th spot, while spinner Kuldeep Yadav climbed 20 places to rank just outside the top ten at 11th. Axar Patel, India’s spin all-rounder, has moved up to eighth, maintaining his position as the top-ranked Indian bowler.

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England’s Adil Rashid continues to lead the bowling rankings, but Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan has risen to second place following his impressive performances in the T20 World Cup. Josh Hazlewood of Australia has moved up three places to fourth, behind Wanindu Hasaranga of Sri Lanka.

Suryakumar Yadav loses his No.1 T20I ranking to Australia’s Travis Headhttps://t.co/NiaKNZemZL

— CrickIt (@CrickitbyHT) June 26, 2024

In the all-rounders’ rankings, Marcus Stoinis has been dethroned from the top spot after a brief stint at number one. India’s Hardik Pandya has climbed to third, while Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi holds second place, and Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga has reclaimed the top spot. West Indies’ Roston Chase is another significant mover among all-rounders, rising 17 places to 12th.

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As India prepares to face defending champions England in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup on Thursday, they aim to overcome the knockout stage jitters that have troubled them for over a decade. The last encounter between these two teams at this stage ended in a one-sided affair, with England comprehensively defeating India in the 2022 semi-final.

However, since that 10-wicket loss in Adelaide, India has shed its conservative approach at the top of the order and emerged as a formidable team in this competition. With a renewed strategy and aggressive mindset, India is determined to advance past the semi-finals and possibly claim the T20 World Cup title.