Pakistan's Abrar Ahmed becomes new ICC world No. 1 T20I bowler

Dubai: Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed has become the new No. 1 bowler in the ICC Men’s T20I rankings, ending Rashid Khan’s stay at the top.

Abrar moved to 736 rating points in the latest update, one point ahead of Afghanistan’s Rashid, who slipped to second. Australia’s Adam Zampa is third with 700 points.

The 28-year-old has been in the second position prior to his recent rise. The promotion caps a strong period for the Pakistan leg-spinner in T20 internationals.

At the 2026 T20 World Cup, Abrar took six wickets in five matches, including 3-23 against Sri Lanka in Pakistan’s final group-stage game. He also claimed two wickets against the Netherlands and one against the USA.

Earlier in the year, Abrar produced another impressive run against Australia. He took 3-14 in the third T20I in Lahore before following it with 2-10 in the next match and 1-18 in the series finale.

His performances have now been reflected in the rankings, giving Pakistan a world No. 1 in the shortest format.

Abrar’s rise also comes as several Pakistan players feature prominently in the latest rankings. Mohammad Nawaz remains eighth among T20I bowlers with 658 points, while Salman Mirza dropped down to 18th. Shaheen Afridi is 33rd.

Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan remains third among T20I batters with 848 points, behind India’s Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma.

For Abrar, the achievement marks another significant step in his international career as he takes the top spot from one of the most established spinners in T20 cricket.