Abhishek Sharma shatters record with highest-ever 931 rating points:Indian opener surpasses Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav’s all-time ratings

India’s young opener Abhishek Sharma continues to shine on the international stage, rewriting history books with his remarkable consistency. The left-hander has now achieved the highest-ever rating in the ICC Men’s T20I Batter Rankings, breaking a record that stood strong for nearly five years. Abhishek reached 931 rating points after scoring a stylish half-century during India’s semi-final win over Sri Lanka at the Asia Cup 2025. This extraordinary feat saw him surpass England’s Dawid Malan’s previous record of 919 points, which was set back in 2020. What makes the achievement even more special is that Abhishek, who only made his international debut last year, has managed to outshine Indian greats Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kohli to become the top-ranked batter in the shortest format of the game. Also read: Will Asia Cup match-winner Kuldeep Yadav feature in India’s XI?: First West Indies Test in Ahmedabad raises combination concerns for Men in Blue Abhishek creates history, records 931 rating points With this record-breaking performance, Abhishek has widened his lead at the top of the rankings. He now sits 82 points clear of England’s Phil Salt, who occupies the second spot. Another Indian youngster, Tilak Varma, holds the third position after scoring 213 runs in the Asia Cup. Abhishek’s incredible Asia Cup campaign, where he amassed 314 runs at an average of 44.85, also earned him the prestigious Player of the Tournament award. His fearless batting and consistency under pressure have quickly made him one of India’s most reliable T20I batters. Varun retains No.1 spot, Kuldeep rose to 12th The latest ICC rankings also brought joy to several other players. Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka jumped two places to fifth with a career-best rating after scoring 261 runs at the Asia Cup. His teammate Kusal Perera climbed to ninth, while Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan surged 11 places to 13th. India’s Sanju Samson also improved, moving up eight spots to 31st. On the bowling front, India’s Varun Chakravarthy retained his No.1 rank after picking seven wickets in the Asia Cup. Kuldeep Yadav rose to 12th, while Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi and Bangladesh’s Rishad Hossain also made notable gains. Also read: Naqvi says he was ‘made to look like a cartoon’: BCCI raises objection after Team India wasn’t given Asia Cup trophy Pakistan’s Saim overtook Pandya’s No.1 spot The all-rounder rankings saw a change at the top as Pakistan’s Saim Ayub overtook India’s Hardik Pandya to claim the No.1 spot for the first time. Ayub’s eight wickets in the Asia Cup played a crucial role in his rise. Pandya, meanwhile, dropped to second place, just eight points behind Ayub.