Tilak Varma’s spectacular rise in T20I cricket continues, as the young Indian batsman moves to a career-high No. 2 in the ICC rankings, surpassing Phil Salt. With his steady performances, he is now vying for the top slot held by Australia’s Travis Head.
Tilak Varma, India’s young batting star, has hit a new milestone in his T20I career by attaining his career-high ICC Men’s T20I batting ranking of No. 2. The 22-year-old’s recent performances for India have moved him beyond England’s Phil Salt, bringing him closer to Australia’s Travis Head, who now holds the top slot.
The former No. 3 player, Tilak, showed off his skills in the Chennai second Twenty20 International against England. The narrow two-wicket triumph for India was largely due to his unbeaten 72 off 55 balls, which helped him climb the rankings. India’s third T20I loss in Rajkot on January 28 saw him score an unimpressive 18 runs, but his recent form has solidified his status as one of the top T20 batsmen in the world. Tilak has 832 rating points as of the most recent ICC rankings update, only 23 fewer than Head’s 855. The youthful left-hander has a fantastic chance to overtake the Australian and take the top rank with two games remaining in the current five-match series against England.
In the ICC Men’s T20I batting rankings, India is still well-represented, with many players in the top 10. Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan has moved up to No. 8, while Yashasvi Jaiswal has fallen one spot to No. 9. Former No. 1 T20I batsman Suryakumar Yadav is now at No. 4.Tilak has been in outstanding form since during the South Africa series last year, when he was promoted to No. 3 in the Indian batting order. In four of his previous five T20I innings, he has amassed 336 runs without losing. He further cemented his status as a reliable and cool batsman under pressure with his double hundreds against South Africa. During the Chennai Twenty20 International, he shown his ability to play with poise and withstand pressure. Tilak anchored the chase when India’s top order collapsed, using a combination of restrained aggressiveness and astute stroke selection to secure victory.
Top 10 ICC T20I Batters (as of January 29)
- Travis Head
- Tilak Varma
- Phil Salt
- Suryakumar Yadav
- Jos Buttler
- Babar Azam
- Pathum Nissanka
- Mohammad Rizwan
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Kusal Perera
