IND vs NZFollowing his explosive century against New Zealand in Wellington, Abhishek Sharma has climbed to the number 1 spot in the ICC Men’s T20 International batting rankings. Meanwhile, Indian captain Shreyas Iyer has slipped four places to 9th position, following a struggle with the bat.
In the third T20 International against New Zealand on Tuesday, Abhishek scored 113 runs off just 38 balls. He reached his century in only 35 deliveries, helping India secure a six-wicket victory and establish an unassailable 3–0 lead in the five-match series.
Overtaking Ishan Kishan
Abhishek Sharma’s explosive innings played a pivotal role in the battle for rankings. It allowed him to surpass his teammate Ishan Kishan, who had ascended to the top spot following the T20 series against Ireland in July. Ishan has now slipped to third place, while Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan has moved into the second position in the latest rankings.
Abhishek Sharma first reached the number 1 spot in July 2025, when he overtook Australia’s Travis Head. He held that position for nearly a year, but a string of strong performances by Ishan Kishan during the T20 World Cup earlier this year propelled him to the top.
Shreyas Iyer’s Struggles
Abhishek’s recent innings has demonstrated his ability to make an immediate impact at the international level. Chasing a target of 198 set by New Zealand, India reached 199 runs in just 13.2 overs.
Abhishek and young opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi provided an explosive start, with Suryavanshi scoring 45 runs off 19 balls. The pair added 133 runs for the first wicket. Abhishek struck nine fours and 11 sixes, finishing his innings with a strike rate of approximately 298.
In the first two matches of the series, he also played useful knocks of 29 and 27 runs. While Abhishek’s resurgence at the top of the order is a reward for his power-hitting, Shreyas Iyer’s performance has been the complete opposite.
He made a spectacular start earlier this month in Lucknow, scoring his maiden T20 International century an unbeaten 102 off just 43 balls. This innings propelled him into the top five of the T20 batting rankings. However, the Indian captain could not maintain that momentum in New Zealand.
Looking ahead in the series
After scoring 42 runs in the first T20, Iyer managed only seven and five runs in the subsequent two matches. His most recent outing in Wellington was particularly difficult; he scored five runs off 10 balls before falling to Mitchell Santner.
Despite Iyer’s struggles, the outcome of the match remained unaffected, thanks to India’s aggressive approach—the visiting side successfully chased down the target with 40 balls to spare. The Indian batter will be keen to improve his ranking in the remaining two T20 International matches in New Zealand. The fourth match between the two sides will take place on Friday in Auckland, while the final match of the series is scheduled for Sunday, November 1, in Hamilton.
