ICC Rankings: Varun Chakaravarthy rises to become the top T20i ranked bowler, Indians make rapid rise in the rankings

"Mystery spinner" and "ball wizard" Varun Chakaravarthy of Team India has exploded in the latest ICC T20 International rankings. Thanks to his impressive bowling displays, he has become the number one ranked bowler in ICC's Men's T20I Bowling Rankings, becoming the third Indian player to achieve so. Varun achieved this significant feat following his impressive performances in Team India's first two matches of the Asia Cup 2025, being played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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34-year-old Varun Chakravarthy has followed in the footsteps of fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi becoming India's No. 1 bowler in T20 Internationals. His economical spells of 1 for 4 in two overs against the UAE and 1 for 24 in four overs against Pakistan helped him jump three places in the rankings. Chakravarthy's previous best was in February 2025, when he reached No. 2. This time, he surpassed New Zealand's Jacob Duffy to take the top spot in the ICC rankings. Jacob Duffy had been No. 1 in the rankings since March, but now the 34-year-old has demonstrated to the world that Indian spin remains a force to reckon with.

Spinners shine in the ICC rankings.

Sri Lankan fast bowler Nuwan Thushara has jumped six places to the sixth spot. Furthermore, spinners' prominence has also increased in the rankings. Pakistan's Safiyan Muqeem gained four places to reach 11th, while Abrar Ahmed advanced 11 places to reach a career-best 16th. For India, Axar Patel moved up one spot to 12th, while Kuldeep Yadav jumped a full 16 places to reach 23rd. Afghanistan's Noor Ahmed also advanced eight places to 25th. 

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