NEW DELHI: India’s preparations for their T20 World Cup title defence have received a major boost with mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy entering uncharted territory at the top of the ICC Men’s T20I Bowler Rankings. The right-arm spinner has surged to a career-best rating of 818 points, further consolidating his position as the No.1 ranked bowler in the shortest format.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Chakaravarthy’s rise has been fuelled by his consistently incisive displays in the ongoing five-match T20I series against South Africa at home. He has picked up six wickets across the first three matches, recording three successive two-wicket hauls. His most impactful effort came in Dharamsala, where figures of 2 for 11 from four overs played a decisive role in India’s emphatic seven-wicket victory.
With 818 rating points, Chakaravarthy now enjoys a commanding 119-point lead over second-placed New Zealand seamer Jacob Duffy, who sits on 699. The 34-year-old Indian spinner has also broken into the top 10 for the best rating achieved by any T20I bowler in history — a significant milestone that underlines his growing influence at the international level.The timing of Chakaravarthy’s peak could hardly be better for India, who are less than two months away from defending the T20 World Cup title they clinched in Barbados last year. With conditions in the subcontinent expected to assist spin, Chakaravarthy is shaping up as a central figure in India’s push for back-to-back global titles. Highest Bowler Ratings – Men’s T20I
India have further reasons for optimism on the bowling front. Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh climbed four places to 16th in the T20I bowler rankings after his Player of the Match performance in the third T20I against South Africa. The Proteas, meanwhile, also made big gains, with Marco Jansen jumping 14 spots to 25th, Lungi Ngidi rising 11 places to 44th, and Ottneil Baartman breaking into the top 70.
Varun Chakravarthy (Pic credit: ICC)
India’s batting unit has also made strides. Tilak Varma moved up two places to fourth in the T20I batter rankings following a string of solid contributions, joining teammate Abhishek Sharmawho continues to hold a comfortable lead at the top of the list.Elsewhere, Pakistan’s Saim Ayub retained his narrow lead among T20I all-rounders despite not featuring this week, while India’s Shivam Dube climbed two spots to 16th.
Abhishek Sharma (Pic credit: ICC)
