New ICC rankings: Sahibzada Farhan breaks into top 10; Nawaz leaps upwards

WEB DESK: Pakistan’s latest surge in the ICC T20I Rankings has brought major shifts, with opener Sahibzada Farhan breaking into the top bracket of T20I batters and climbing all the way to No. 4, his highest-ever position. His consistent run through the recent T20I Tri-Series has propelled him past several established names.

The new ICC rankings also brought disappointment for Pakistan’s young star Saim Ayub, who dropped from the No. 1 position in the ICC T20I all-rounders ranking, making way for Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza, whose all-round brilliance in the same tri-series has earned him the top spot for the first time.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Nawaz made one of the biggest leaps of the update, soaring 14 places to No. 13 among T20I all-rounders after an impressive run with both bat and ball. Former captain Babar Azam also made minor gains, moving up to 29th among T20I batters after a steady half-century.

Raza’s rise continues a remarkable year for the Zimbabwean veteran. Having already held the No 1 ranking among ODI all-rounders earlier in the season, he now adds the top T20I all-rounder tag to his résumé, pushing Saim to second.

Elsewhere across formats, the latest ICC rankings update saw routine reshuffles: West Indies and New Zealand players climbed in ODIs following their recent series, while Australia’s Travis Head and Mitchell Starc made notable moves in the Test lists after standout Ashes performances.

India has slipped to fifth place in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) points table standings after the South Africa Test loss. Now Australia continues to lead the table, followed by South Africa and Sri Lanka. Pakistan holds the fourth position firmly with India now occupying the fifth.

But for Pakistan, the headline remains clear: Farhan’s arrival in the global top tier, Saim’s slip from No. 1, and Nawaz’s dramatic 14-spot jump mark a significant reshaping of their T20I standing ahead of a packed international calendar.