Shreyas Iyer Jumps to No. 7 in ICC T20I Rankings After Maiden Century
India captain Shreyas Iyer has made a massive jump in the latest ICC Men’s T20I batting rankings after producing his maiden century in the format against West Indies.
Iyer has climbed 18 places to No. 7, achieving the best ranking of his T20I career. His unbeaten 102 off 43 balls in the first T20I in Lucknow played a major role in India’s eight-wicket victory and earned him a place among the world’s top 10 T20I batters.
Shreyas Iyer Climbs 18 Places
Before the latest rankings update, Iyer was outside the top 10. His spectacular performance against West Indies has now moved him 18 positions higher to seventh.
The Indian captain smashed 102 not out from 43 deliveries, hitting 10 fours and six sixes. He reached his maiden T20I century in just 42 balls and helped India chase down West Indies’ 171-run total with 32 balls remaining.
The knock also made Iyer only the third Indian captain to score a T20I century, joining Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav.
Iyer Becomes India’s Third-Highest Ranked T20I Batter
Iyer’s rise means India now have four batters inside the ICC T20I top 10.
The current Indian representation is:
| Rank | Player | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ishan Kishan | India |
| 2 | Abhishek Sharma | India |
| 7 | Shreyas Iyer | India |
| 10 | Tilak Varma | India |
Ishan Kishan continues to occupy the No. 1 position, while Abhishek Sharma remains second. Tilak Varma has slipped one place to 10th.
This gives India four players in the top 10 of the T20I batting rankings, underlining the depth of their current batting lineup.
Iyer’s Match-Winning Century Against West Indies
Iyer’s rankings surge came immediately after one of his most important T20I innings.
India were chasing 172 and had been reduced to 35/2 after early dismissals of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson. Iyer then joined Ishan Kishan and changed the momentum of the chase.
The pair produced an unbeaten 137-run partnership, with Iyer taking increasing control as the innings progressed. He reached his half-century from 28 balls before accelerating dramatically towards his century.
Iyer eventually finished unbeaten on 102 from 43 balls, while India completed the chase in only 14.4 overs.
His innings contained 10 fours and six sixes, making it one of the most aggressive centuries by an Indian batter in T20I cricket.
India Continue Their Strong Presence in T20I Rankings
The latest rankings underline India’s dominance in the shortest format.
With Ishan Kishan at No. 1, Abhishek Sharma at No. 2, Iyer at No. 7 and Tilak Varma at No. 10, India have four of the world’s top 10 T20I batters.
Teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has also moved up significantly. He gained eight places to reach 46th after his performances during the Asian Games.
West Indies batter Sherfane Rutherford also benefited from his performance in Lucknow, moving 10 places to No. 37 after scoring 56.
Rashid Khan Returns to No. 1 in T20I Bowling Rankings
There was also a change at the top of the T20I bowling rankings.
Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan has reclaimed the No. 1 position from Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed.
For India, Axar Patel made one of the biggest moves among the bowlers, jumping 16 places to seventh.
The latest update therefore features significant movement across both batting and bowling rankings.
Shubman Gill Remains No. 1 in ODI Rankings
The latest ICC update also brought good news for India’s ODI captain Shubman Gill.
Gill has retained the No. 1 position in the ODI batting rankings after his unbeaten 223 against West Indies in the second ODI. His double century helped him add 25 rating points and reach 841 points, matching his career-best rating.
However, former India captain Virat Kohli slipped from second to third in the ODI batting rankings.
West Indies captain Shai Hope moved up to sixth after his 162 in the third ODI, while KL Rahul returned to the top 10.
What Does This Mean for Shreyas Iyer?
Iyer’s move to seventh is significant because it represents his first appearance inside the ICC T20I batting top 10.
The timing is also important. His century came after a difficult stretch in T20I cricket, making the performance an ideal response to questions surrounding his form.
As India’s T20I captain, Iyer will now be expected to maintain this level of consistency throughout the five-match West Indies series.
India lead the series 1-0 after their eight-wicket win in Lucknow, with the second T20I scheduled for October 9 in Ranchi.
Shreyas Iyer’s New ICC Ranking: Key Takeaways
- Shreyas Iyer has reached a career-best No. 7 in T20I batting.
- He jumped 18 places after his maiden T20I century.
- Iyer scored an unbeaten 102 off 43 balls against West Indies.
- India now have four batters in the T20I top 10.
- Ishan Kishan remains No. 1, with Abhishek Sharma second.
- Tilak Varma is ranked 10th.
- Rashid Khan has returned to No. 1 among T20I bowlers.
- Shubman Gill remains the world’s No. 1 ODI batter.
Shreyas Iyer’s latest rankings surge is another indication of his growing importance to India’s T20I setup. After finally converting his form into a maiden international century, the Indian captain will now look to build on the breakthrough performance and climb even higher in the ICC rankings.