DUBAI: English cricketer Philip Dean Salt’s outstanding performance in recent T20I matches catapulted him to second place in the MRF Tyres T20I batting rankings with a career-best rating of 802.
His stellar scores of 119 and 38 in Trinidad pushed him up 18 places, now sitting 15 rating points ahead of Mohammad Rizwan in third position. Despite this surge, there remains a significant gap between Salt and the leader, Suryakumar Yadav, who maintains a strong hold at the top with 887 rating points.
The electrifying West Indies v England T20I series witnessed several players making significant strides. Liam Livingstone, for instance, ascended 27 places to secure the 38th spot after impressive knocks of 54* and 28 in those matches. His performances also bolstered his all-rounder status, propelling him four spots up to eighth position, tied with Moeen Ali and Shadab Khan.
While the West Indies clinched the T20I series 3-2, Akeal Hosein’s pivotal role in their victory saw him climb to fourth position in the bowling rankings with 683 rating points, overtaking Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana. Gudakesh Motie’s stellar performance propelled him an astonishing 75 spots higher after claiming 3/24 (4) in a crucial match. On the English side, Reece Topley’s consistent performance across the week earned him a 13-spot jump, securing a spot in the top 10 bowlers.
Shifting focus to other cricketing events, the ODI series between New Zealand and Bangladesh, along with India’s tour to South Africa, resulted in some minor movements. Shoriful Islam ascended 24 spots to 35th position due to his commendable bowling performance, while young Indian left-armer Arshdeep Singh progressed 41 spots, though he’s still outside the top 100.
Batting-wise, Najmul Hossain Shanto advanced nine spots to share the 49th position, and South Africa’s Tony de Zorzi entered the top 100 with a remarkable 39-spot leap. Soumya Sarkar’s exceptional innings of 169 (151) against New Zealand led to a jump of 52 spots, and Sanju Samson climbed 54 spots to reach a rating of 405.
Sarkar’s innings also marked a historic moment as he surpassed Sachin Tendulkar’s 13-year record for the highest ODI score by a sub-continent player in New Zealand, surpassing The Little Master’s 163* in Christchurch. Samson’s noteworthy performance, scoring 108 (114) batting at No.3, significantly contributed to India’s successful defense of 296 runs in the third ODI against South Africa in Paarl.
