Babar claims top spot in T20I rankings

Right-handed batsman overtakes Australia’s Aaron Finch with impressive performances in recently concluded series

Pakistan’s right-handed batsman Babar Azam grabbed top spot in the ICC’s rankings for batsmen in the T20I format.

Azam was the most successful batsman in terms of runs scored with 109 at an average of 54.50 during the recently concluded three-match series between the Men in Green and New Zealand and is now leading Australia’s Aaron Finch (784 points) by two points.

Sarfraz Ahmed’s men clinched a famous 2-1 victory in the series, made all the more impressive by the fact that  the same team was whitewashed in the five-match ODI series earlier in the tour.

The 23-year-old Azam became only the second Pakistani batsman to achieve the feat, as former captain Misbahul Haq also held the top spot for a brief period in 2009.

Young leg-spinner Shadab Khan, who played an instrumental role in team’s success in the final match of the series against the Black Caps, has rocketed 28 places to 14th spot, while fast-bowler Mohammad Amir has also made an impressive gain of 19 places and now sits in 27th position.

New Zealand left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner have also been rewarded for strong performances in the two sides' recent T20I series and claimed the top spot for bowlers in the shortest format of the game.

The 25-year-old, who claimed figures of 2-15, 0-30 and 2-24 in the three-match T20I series against Pakistan, has replaced teammate Ish Sodhi as the top-ranked bowler.

Sodhi has dropped two places to third, six points behind Santner, managing two wickets in the series.