ICC T20I rankings: India maintain dominance at the top, arch-rivals Pakistan slip to fourth spot

Team India retained their top spot in the latest ICC T20I rankings released on Tuesday (May 02). India have been dominating the top spot in the shortest format and bolstered their position as they now lead second-ranked and current T20 champions England by eight points. Meanwhile, the likes of New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa occupy the third, fourth and fifth spots respectively. 

India have been very consistent in T20Is since 2020 despite not having a great run in the last two T20 World Cups. In 2021, the Virat Kohli-led Men in Blue bowed out of the Super 10 round whereas India, under Rohit Sharma, reached the semi-finals of the 2022 T20 WC but crashed out with a ten-wicket loss at the hands of eventual winners England. Since last year’s T20 WC, in Australia, India have been led by Hardik Pandya as Rohit, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and few other seniors have not featured in the shortest format, to concentrate on the longer formats due to the upcoming WTC final, in June, and ODI World Cup later this year.

The ICC revealed that India’s rating points have improved to 267 whereas Jos Buttler’s England are on 259. “India had a below-par T20 World Cup in 2021 but bounced back with a semi-final appearance in 2022. The Men in Blue have been terrific in T20Is since May 2020, having lost just the one bilateral series (against Sri Lanka in 2021), emerging victorious in 13 other series while one ended in a draw (against South Africa in 2022),” the ICC said.

“The new rankings reflect all T20I series completed since May 2020, with those completed prior to May 2022 weighted at 50 per cent and every subsequent series weighted at 100 per cent,” it further stated. Meanwhile, New Zealand (256) also made a two-spot jump from No. 5 to No. 3 in the latest update.

It is to be noted that India have also dethroned Australia to take the No. 1 spot in the ICC Test rankings.