Pakistani spinner Abbarar Ahmed becomes top bowler in T20 according to ICC rankings

During the current T20 series against Afghanistan, Indian batsman Abhishek Sharma demonstrated outstanding performance, allowing him to significantly improve his position in the ICC world rankings. Thanks to his strong batting, he surpassed Pakistani player Sahibzada Farhan and secured second place in the ICC T20 batsmen rankings.

Thus, both top spots in the T20 rankings are held by players from India, as vice-captain Ishan Kishan continues to hold the number one spot. This means that the two best T20 batsmen in the world are now associated with India.

In the first two matches against Afghanistan, Abhishek Sharma impressed his opponents with powerful innings. In the first match, he scored an impressive 82 runs off just 32 balls, leading India to an easy victory. Following this, in the second match, he played a rapid innings of 39 runs off only 19 balls. It was this excellent form that helped him climb the rankings, pushing Sahibzada Farhan to second place.

Not only batsmen but also Indian bowlers have gained recognition in the new ICC rankings. Varun Chakravarthy moved up two places to take fifth position. Star bowler Jasprit Bumrah made a significant leap into the top 10, securing tenth place. Additionally, Arshdeep Singh (14th place) and Axar Patel (27th place) also achieved good progress in the rankings.

India has already taken the lead over Afghanistan with a score of 2-0 in the first two matches of the series. The third and final match of the series will take place tomorrow, September 17, in Delhi, where the Indian team aims for a complete rout of their opponent.

In the world of cricket, fast attacking players from Pakistan, such as Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Ibrahim Khan, and Shoaib Akhtar, once dominated, demonstrating outstanding results on the international stage. However, in recent years, the Pakistani team has lacked fast bowlers capable of intimidating batsmen with their speed.

A new hope for the Pakistani squad has emerged through 21-year-old Rajullah. On the first day of the Test against England in Birmingham (September 9), he displayed such a performance that he began to be compared to Waqar Younis.

This young fast bowler from Mardan took an LBW dismissal of England's captain and experienced batsman Joe Root on only his fourth ball in his career. Rajullah's main characteristic was his pace. In the first two overs, he reached speeds of up to 92 mph, and his tempo remained above 89 mph. His deliveries were distinguished not only by speed but also by aggression, which the attack of Pakistani fast bowlers had long lacked. At the end of the day, he also dismissed opener Emilio Gay, taking two wickets in his very first Test day.

Rajullah was included in the Pakistani team ahead of the final Test match of the tour in England. Following crushing defeats in the previous two Tests, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made significant changes to the squad, sacking head coach Sarfar Zahid and sending seven players home. Rajullah became one of five inexperienced players included in the team to replace these athletes and fully capitalized on this sudden opportunity at Edgbaston.

Rajullah's path to international cricket was short but rapid. He was noticed by Abdul Rahman, the regional coach from Mardan, while he was playing for the Mardan district team. After that, he was given the opportunity to play in the Qaide-Azam tournament for the Peshawar region. In his first season of the Qaide-Azam tournament in 2025-26, he took 30 wickets in eight matches. Notably, besides bowling, he proved his usefulness as a batsman, scoring half-centuries and centuries in different matches.

Subsequently, he got the chance to play for Rawalpindi in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). During training at the Akib Javed National Cricket Academy, PCB's Director of High Performance, he closely studied his bowling and was impressed by his talent. At the end of August, Rajullah was invited to the PCB fast bowlers' training camp, which included 12 fast bowlers. Subsequently, interim coach Mike Hesson was also impressed by his potential and decided to include him in the Test team.

In the third match of the series, the Pakistani batsmen disappointed again, and the entire team was bowled out for 133 runs in the first innings. The task then was to stop a strong English attack against the bowlers. Rajullah impressed with his pace, but the other bowlers proved ineffective. On the first day, England scored 156 runs, losing 4 batsmen.