Babar closes gap on Suryakumar Yadav in latest ICC T20I rankings

Babar emerged as Pakistan's top run-getter in a thrilling series that ended with a 2-2 draw.

The right-hand batter scored a half-century in the fifth T20I, accumulating a total of 125 runs from four innings at the top of Pakistan's batting lineup. This performance propelled the 29-year-old up one place to fourth in the updated T20I rankings for batters, elevating his rating by 10 points to 763.

With just a 98-point gap separating him from Suryakumar, Babar is closing in on the Indian dynamo as the ICC Men's T20 World Cup approaches.

Pakistan batter Fakhar Zaman, also made significant progress in the latest rankings update, climbing 10 places to 62nd position after his impressive 104-run contribution in the series.

In the bowling department, Pakistan and New Zealand players saw positive movements in the updated T20I bowlers list.

Left-arm pacer, Shaheen Afridi, surged three places to joint 14th following his eight wickets across four matches against New Zealand.

However, notable Pakistani bowlers experienced a decline in their rankings. Haris Rauf slipped to 23rd position due to an injury sidelining him from the New Zealand series. Shadab Khan's ranking dropped to 26th despite his batting exploits, as his bowling performance didn't match expectations.

Meanwhile, New Zealand's Michael Bracewell climbed 13 spots to 55th, and Ben Sears jumped 29 places to 60th in the T20I bowlers' rankings.

Imad Wasim, who returned to the national team after rescinding his retirement, made significant progress in the T20I all-rounder rankings, rising 10 positions to 22nd after consistent performances against New Zealand.