‘King Babar’ pips Dawid Malan, regains top spot in ICC T20 rankings

Clinching 834 rating points, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has regained his numero uno position in the latest International Cricket Council (ICC) batting rankings.

Scoring 51 against Afghanistan and 70 against Namibia, Babar Azam is at the top for the sixth time in his career.  

The 27-year-old had first attained top position in 2018, while he currently holds top rank in One Day Internationals (ODIs). 

The Pakistani captain is 36 points ahead of English cricketer while his career-best remains 896 rating points.  

Babar Azam is the new No.1 batter on the @MRFWorldwide ICC Men’s T20I rankings, while Wanindu Hasaranga has claimed top spot on the bowling rankings for the first time 👏#T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/zoCVVJIPze

— ICC (@ICC) November 3, 2021

King Babar is back on 🔝 of ICC Men’s T20I Batting Rankings! pic.twitter.com/g0hrTj0x6Y

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) November 3, 2021

The 27-year-old’s two successive half-centuries in the ongoing ICC tournament and three in four previous matches have helped him overtake England’s Dawid Malan and grab the No. 1 position.

As for other players, Mohammad Rizwan is just two points away from breaking into the top three.

In the meantime, Fakhar Zaman also gained two places and is now 45th, while Mohammad Hafeez stands at 54th. 

On the bowling side, Pakistani all-rounder Imad Wasim jumped 10 places to 26th while Hasan Ali advanced four places to 63rd.

In addition, Shaheen Shah Afridi has remained Pakistan's highest-ranked bowler in 13th position.