Dubai: Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan has reclaimed the top spot in the ICC Men’s T20I bowling rankings, replacing India’s Varun Chakravarthy following the conclusion of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

Varun Chakravarthy, who had held the No.1 ranking since September 2025 after an impressive run of performances, slipped to the second position after the latest update released on Wednesday, March 11.

Rashid Khan regains top ranking

Rashid Khan moved to the top of the rankings with 753 rating points, edging past Varun Chakravarthy who now holds 740 points. The Afghanistan spinner leads the Indian bowler by a margin of 13 rating points.

The reshuffle in rankings came after the completion of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup campaign, which saw multiple bowlers deliver impactful performances during the tournament.

Interestingly, Rashid reclaimed the top spot despite not participating in the Super 8 stage and knockout rounds of the tournament, while Varun featured in the latter stages of the competition.

The rankings update marks a notable return for Rashid, who has consistently remained among the top bowlers in the T20I format for several years.

Varun Chakravarthy’s World Cup campaign

Varun Chakravarthy had entered the T20 World Cup in strong form and began the tournament with a highly impressive performance.

In the initial phase of the competition, he picked up nine wickets in the first four matches, playing a key role in India’s bowling attack.

However, his performance dipped during the later stages of the tournament. During the Super 8 phase, the spinner struggled with his economy rate and conceded more runs than expected.

His form did not significantly improve in the knockout matches, including the semi-final and final.

Despite the inconsistent performances towards the end of the tournament, Varun still finished as one of the joint-leading wicket-takers in the competition with 14 wickets.

Expensive spells in knockout matches

Varun faced particular challenges in the semi-final match played in Mumbai, where he conceded 64 runs in his four overs while managing to take only one wicket.

The expensive spell proved costly in terms of his overall bowling figures in the tournament.

In the final held in Ahmedabad against New Zealand, Varun bowled three overs and conceded 39 runs but managed to claim an important wicket by dismissing Tim Seifert.

Over the course of the tournament, Varun bowled a total of 31 overs and conceded 287 runs.

He ended the campaign with an economy rate of 9.25 and an average of 20.5.

Bumrah climbs in bowling rankings

India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah also made progress in the latest ICC rankings update following his strong performance in the World Cup.

Bumrah climbed one position to sixth in the T20I bowling rankings.

He played a crucial role in India’s bowling unit during the tournament and delivered a standout performance in the final, taking four wickets for just 15 runs.

Like Varun, Bumrah also finished the tournament with 14 wickets but maintained significantly better bowling figures.

His average stood at 12.42 while his economy rate was an impressive 6.21, reflecting his consistency throughout the competition.

Axar Patel moves up

India’s Axar Patel also registered a rise in the rankings following his contributions during the tournament.

The left-arm spinner climbed six places to reach the 17th position in the latest T20I bowling rankings.

Axar finished the World Cup campaign with 11 wickets in seven matches and played an important role in India’s bowling attack across various stages of the tournament.

His steady performances helped strengthen India’s spin department throughout the competition.

All-rounder rankings battle continues

The contest for the top position in the ICC T20I all-rounders’ rankings remains closely contested.

Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza continues to hold the No.1 spot in the all-rounders list with 328 rating points.

India’s Hardik Pandya remains close behind in second position with 299 points, and both players achieved career-best rating points during the latest update.

The competition between the two all-rounders has been one of the key highlights of the rankings in recent months.

Other notable ranking movements

New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner also recorded a career-best rating after climbing three places to ninth in the T20I all-rounders rankings.

England’s Will Jacks was another significant mover, rising five places to 13th after delivering strong performances during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

These changes reflect the impact of the tournament on the ICC rankings, as players from several teams improved their positions based on their performances.

Rankings reflect tournament impact

The latest ICC rankings update highlights how major international tournaments can significantly influence player standings across formats.

While Varun Chakravarthy’s brief reign at the top has ended, his strong wicket tally during the World Cup campaign demonstrates his continued importance to India’s T20 bowling attack.

With Rashid Khan reclaiming the No.1 position and several other bowlers climbing the rankings, the competition among the world’s top T20I bowlers is expected to remain intense in the coming months.