Young India batter Tilak Varma moved to number two in the ICC men’s T20I ranking after a stunning show with the bat against England in the second T20I at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Since his debut, the 22-year-old has been remarkable in the shortest format of the game and has sealed his spot in the playing XI. His promotion to number three worked wonders as the cricketer now toppled Phil Salt, moving one step closer to the top spot, currently held by Travis Head in the ranking.
Chasing 166 runs in the second T20I, the hosts were in a state of bother, having been reduced to 78/5. India needed someone to step up and take charge and that’s exactly what Tilak produced. He played a mature knock of unbeaten 72 runs off 55 deliveries and helped the Suryakumar Yadav-led side win the match by two wickets. He was also adjudged Player of the Match for his terrific knock.
Meanwhile, according to the latest ICC rankings update, Tilak holds 832 rating points, 23 behind Head’s 855. With two more T20Is remaining, the Hyderabad-born can surpass the Australia international to become the number-one-ranked T20I batter but for that, the youngster needs to put up more consistent performances.
He flopped to deliver in the third T20I of the series in Rajkot, resulting in a 26-run defeat. Tilak made 18 runs off 14 balls while India’s middle order struggled against the wrath of Adil Rashid. With the win, England made a strong comeback but are still trailing 2-1 in the five-match series.
Apart from Tilak, there are two other cricketers that are part of the top 10 batter’s list. T20I captain Suryakumar, who was previously the number-one ranked batter in the format, currently sits at four while Yashasvi Jaiswal is ninth on the list.
| Player | Country | Rating |
| Travis Head | Australia | 855 |
| Tilak Varma | India | 832 |
| Phil Salt | England | 782 |
| Suryakumar Yadav | India | 763 |
| Jos Buttler | England | 749 |
| Babar Azam | Pakistan | 712 |
| Pathum Nissanka | Sri Lanka | 707 |
| Mohammad Rizwan | Pakistan | 704 |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | India | 685 |
| Kusal Perera | Sri Lanka | 675 |