New York, With just weeks to go before the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Pakistan cricket captain Babar Azam has significantly narrowed the gap to the top spot in the ICC Men’s T20I Batter Rankings, closely trailing India’s Suryakumar Yadav. This rise follows Babar’s outstanding performance in the recent T20I series against New Zealand.

According to International Cricket Council, Babar was the top scorer for Pakistan in the series, which ended in a 2-2 tie. His performance included a pivotal half-century in the final match, contributing to his series total of 125 runs from four innings. This effort has elevated him one position to fourth in the rankings, bringing him within 98 rating points of the top spot, currently held by Yadav.

Fakhar Zaman, another key player for Pakistan, also climbed in the rankings, moving up ten places to 62nd after scoring 104 runs in the series. On the New Zealand side, Tim Seifert made notable advances as well, moving up seven places to tie for seventh in the batter rankings after accumulating 85 runs at a strike rate of 144.06.

The series also saw significant movements in the T20I bowler rankings, with Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi rising three places to tie for 14th after taking eight wickets in four matches. New Zealand bowlers Michael Bracewell and Ben Sears saw upward movements as well, climbing to 55th and 60th places, respectively.

Pakistan’s Imad Wasim, noted for his all-round capabilities, was the biggest mover in the T20I all-rounder rankings, advancing ten places to 22nd following his performances in the series against New Zealand.