Asia Cup 2025: Pakistan bowlers earn rankings boost, make big jumps in latest ICC list

Pakistan’s bowlers received a timely boost ahead of the Asia Cup as several of their stars made significant gains in the latest ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings following their title-winning run in the UAE tri-series.The Salman Agha-led side clinched the tri-nation event with a commanding 75-run victory over Afghanistan in the final, and it was the bowling unit that dominated both on the field and in the updated charts.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Young left-arm spinner Sufiyan Muqeem climbed seven spots to reach 15th position after his two-wicket performance in the final, while spearhead Shaheen Afridi continued his steady rise by jumping four places to 22nd overall. Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed was another big mover, vaulting 39 places to joint 27th following his six wickets across just two appearances.The standout, however, was Mohammad Nawaz, who bagged 10 wickets across the tournament to win Player of the Series honours. His consistent displays saw him leap 13 spots to 30th in the rankings, consolidating his status as one of Pakistan’s most reliable T20I spinners. Despite the reshuffle, New Zealand’s Jacob Duffy continues to hold the No.1 spot among T20I bowlers.Among batters, Fakhar Zaman provided a bright spark for Pakistan with 155 runs in the series, helping him move up nine places to 68th. Elsewhere, Sri Lanka’s Kusal Perera gained three places to enter the top 10 at ninth, following a composed half-century against Zimbabwe in Harare. Zimbabwe veteran Sikandar Raza also continued his fine run, climbing to fourth on the T20I all-rounders list after consistent contributions against Sri Lanka.The ODI rankings also witnessed movement, with England’s Jofra Archer surging 16 places to third after an eight-wicket haul in the series against South Africa. Archer now trails No.1 Keshav Maharaj by just 26 points, while teammate Adil Rashid jumped to eighth. England batters Joe Root, Jos Buttler, and Jacob Bethell also made strides in the ODI batting charts.For Pakistan, though, the timing of these T20I gains could not be better. With the Asia Cup already underway, their strengthened bowling attack looks set to be a decisive weapon on regional cricket’s biggest stage.