Not down for long: India reclaim No.1 T20I ranking after Shreyas Iyer's first series win as captain

The Men in Blue are finally where they belong. The No.1 ranking in T20Is now belongs to Team India.

Updated on: Jul 26, 2026, 15:05:19 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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Not down for long. Team India, led by Shreyas Iyer, is back at the top. The win in the second T20I over Zimbabwe in Harare led to the Men in Blue reclaiming the No.1 ranking in the shortest format of the game. Earlier this year, India dropped down to the second spot after losing consecutive series against Ireland (2-0) and England (4-0). However, the return to winning ways paved the way for Shreyas and co to regain the number spot.

The No.1 ranking in T20Is now belongs to Team India. (AP Photo/Wonder Mashura)

The reigning ICC Men's T20 World Cup champions regained the top ranking from England, who had briefly moved ahead following their dominant 4-0 home T20I series victory over the Men in Blue in the five-match series.

Speaking of the second T20I between India and Zimbabwe, Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma rose to the occasion for the visitors after young sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's record-breaking performance powered the visitors to victory in the series opener.

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Despite an early setback with two quick wickets, Ishan Kishan and captain Shreyas Iyer steadied the innings with a crucial 66-run partnership in the second T20I. Their efforts laid the foundation for an explosive finish, highlighted by Tilak Varma's blistering 60 off just 29 deliveries. Kishan missed out on a century after getting dismissed for 81.

For his performance with the bat, Kishan was also adjudged as Player of the Match.

What did Kishan say?

After the game, Kishan spoke about the need to assess the situation and play accordingly.

“We were down two wickets, but at the same time, as a batter batting at no.3, your job is to just watch the ball and play your natural game. You also have to understand the wicket, there were a lot of thoughts going through whether we want to end up getting 250, 230 or if the wicket is just about getting 170-180 runs,” said Kishan.

“Shreyas Iyer came in, and we just wanted to build a partnership and take the innings deep. And I think we executed our plans in a good manner,” he added.

Set a daunting target of 220, Zimbabwe struggled to keep pace with the required run rate in the second T20I of the three-match series. The hosts lost five wickets within the first nine overs and never recovered, eventually being bowled out for 129 as India completed another comprehensive victory to clinch the series.

The two sides are scheduled to meet again in the third T20I on July 26.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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