India’s strong start to their T20I series against Afghanistan has led to movement among several of their batters in the latest ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings.
The rankings update, released by the International Cricket Council on Wednesday, comes after India took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. The Indian batting group features prominently in the latest list, with Ishan Kishan retaining the top position and Abhishek Sharma moving into second.
has also climbed the rankings after his half-century in the second T20I in New Delhi.
Ishan Kishan continues to be the No. 1-ranked batter in men’s T20Is in the latest ICC rankings. The wicketkeeper-batter remains ahead of his teammate Abhishek Sharma, who has moved into second place. Kishan and Abhishek are now separated by 51 rating points.
took over the top spot in July after India’s two-match T20I series against Ireland. He became the fourth Indian batter to reach No. 1 in the format, after Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav and Abhishek.
His rise followed his performances at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup earlier this year, where he scored 317 runs and registered a strike rate of almost 200.
has gained one place in the latest rankings and is now the second-ranked T20I batter in the world.
His rise came after an 82-run innings in the opening match of the Afghanistan series. The left-hander moved above Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan following his performance in the series opener.
The latest update leaves India with the top two batters in the T20I rankings. This is the second time in 2026 that Kishan and Abhishek have occupied the top two positions.
The pair had earlier made history by becoming the first Indian batting duo to hold the first and second positions in the ICC Men’s T20I batting rankings. Abhishek was No. 1 and Kishan No. 2 at the time.
Abhishek followed his 82 in the first Afghanistan T20I with 39 in the second match in Delhi. He opened the innings alongside Samson as India chased Afghanistan’s 159-run total with seven wickets and 31 balls remaining.
Samson has made further progress in the latest rankings after his contribution in the second T20I.
The India wicketkeeper-batter has moved up four places to 30th in the T20I batting rankings after scoring a half-century in Delhi.
Samson made 57 off 22 balls in the second match against Afghanistan. His innings came during an 88-run opening partnership with Abhishek, which provided India with a fast start in their chase. The partnership helped India reach the target in 14.5 overs and seal the series with a match to spare.
The latest rankings update also features several Indian bowlers moving up the T20I rankings.
Varun Chakaravarthy has climbed two places to fifth, while Jasprit Bumrah has moved up seven places to 10th. Arshdeep Singh has made an 11-place jump to 14th, while Axar Patel has risen six places to 27th.
India will face Afghanistan in the third and final T20I in Delhi on September 17, with the series already decided 2-0.
