Abhishek Sharma back at No.1 in T20I rankings with 897 points

Abhishek Sharma returned to No.1 in the ICC men’s T20I batting rankings with 897 rating points after his 113 from 38 balls in the third T20I against New Zealand in Wellington. India won that match by six wickets to clinch the series.

The India opener displaces his teammate Ishan Kishan at the top. Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan is second on 883, with Kishan third on 866.

The innings

Abhishek reached his hundred in 35 balls, according to the ICC’s ranking report. India finished on 199/4 in 13.2 overs, answering New Zealand’s 198/3 in 20 overs.

It was India’s third win in the New Zealand vs India T20I Series 2026. They had earlier won by four wickets on 22 October and again on 24 October.

How the top spot changed hands

Kishan had been the top-ranked T20I batter since July, after strong performances in Ireland. Abhishek had first reached No.1 in July 2025, when he overtook Travis Head.

Kishan was ruled out of the second and third T20Is of the five-match series because of an injury, and he has slipped to third in the list.

Others on the move

In the same update, India’s Sanju Samson rose six places to 20th among T20I batters, and New Zealand’s Finn Allen climbed three spots to 25th.

What’s next

The series is already won, but two T20Is remain: the fourth on Friday, 30 October at 12:30 PM IST and the fifth on Sunday, 1 November at 12:30 PM IST. The ODI series then begins on Wednesday, 4 November at 7:30 AM IST.