Babar Azam has been dominating the ICC rankings for a long time now. He is the number 1 batsman in both ODI and T20i. However, it seems like his place in on ICC T20i ranking is in danger, and it might be snatched by a player from across the border.
Green Team skipper remained in the top position for the most number of days
The Pakistani skipper has a record of staying on top of the ICC T20i rankings for the longest time. The previous record holder, Virat Kohli stayed on the top ranking for 1013 days. The current top batter, Babar Azam, outshone this record by staying on the top ranking for 1030 days.
Babar Azam is on the verge of becoming the second-best batsman
However, it seems like the number 1 spot might be going away from his hand. Babar Azam’s ranking points are 818, while Surya Kumar Yadav’s ranking points are 816. There is a difference of only two points in the ICC T20i ranking.
What led to Surya Kumar Yadav suddenly gaining so many points in the ICC T20i ranking?
The sudden change in points occurred because the right-handed Indian batter was amazing in the T20i series against West Indies. He scored 76 runs in the third ODI, and that increased his chances of overtaking Babar Azam. Two T20is are remaining. If Yadav succeeds in scoring big runs, he may be the new ICC T20i number 1 batter.
Stats of both players
If we look at the stats of these players, Babar Azam has played 74 games and scored 2686 runs with an average of 45.52 at a strike rate of 129.44. On the other hand, Surya Kumar Yadav has featured in 22 games and scored 648 runs with an average of 38.11 at a strike rate of 175.60.
Different opinions floating on Twitter
While we have seen numerous instances of harmony and friendship between the players from both sides, fans sometimes take the opposite approach. Since the news that Babar Azam might not stay the number one ICC batter, there have been different views being expressed on Twitter.
Some think ICC rankings are a shame, while some think the Pakistani skipper might lose his spot because of unfair means.
From a cricket fan’s point of view, healthy competition and banter should always exist. Moreover, the capabilities of a player shouldn’t be judged on the rankings. Babar Azam is one of the best current batsmen, without a doubt, and it would be interesting and exciting to see how he’ll get back his spot because he surely has the ability to do so.
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