Star Indian batters Suryakumar Yadav and Rinku Singh have been rewarded for their quickfire half-centuries in the second T20I against South Africa. While Suryakumar has extended his lead at the top of the ICC Men’s T20I Batter Rankings, Rinku jumped 46 places to go to 59th rank.
Suryakumar smashed 56 from just 36 deliveries as India fell short in the exciting clash in Gqeberha and the attacking right-hander gained a total of 10 rating points as a result to further increase his lead as the No.1 ranked batter in the shortest format of the game.
The India star now has a total of 865 rating points, which is well clear of his nearest rivals in Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan (787 rating points) and South Africa’s Aiden Markram (758) less than six months out from the start of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Suryakumar famously claimed the premier ranking during the most recent edition of the T20 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand towards the end of last year and on current form it appears the India batter is likely to hold that position into next year’s tournament in the West Indies and USA.
South Africa opener Reeza Hendricks is one player to make ground on Suryakumar after he moved up one place to eighth following his innings of 49 against India, while Tilak Varma (up 10 spots to 55th) and Rinku Singh (up 46 places to equal 59th) also catch the eye alongside their more seasoned teammate.
With newly-crowned No.1 T20I bowler Ravi Bishnoi missing selection on the tour of South Africa so far, it has paved the way for Afghanistan ace Rashid Khan to join the India young gun at the top of the rankings for T20I bowlers, with Proteas spinner Tabraiz Shamsi also making some eye-catching ground in rising two places to 10th following an economical spell of 1/18 in their most recent contest.
India left-armer Kuldeep Yadav rises five places to 32nd on the same list, while Markram improves two places to second behind only India’s Ravindra Jadeja on the latest T20I rankings for all-rounders.
