Shreyas Iyer’s 102 sparks stunning ICC rankings surge as India captain jumps 18 places to career-best No. 7

Shreyas Iyer became the third Indian captain to score a century in T20I cricket, joining Rohit Sharma (thrice) and Suryakumar Yadav

Updated on: Oct 7, 2026, 13:59:08 IST

Written by Aratrick Mondal

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India captain Shreyas Iyer on Wednesday surged to a career-best ranking in the latest ICC T20I batting list after smashing his maiden century in the format in Tuesday’s series opener against the West Indies in Lucknow. Iyer, who scored an unbeaten 102 in India’s eight-wicket win, is now the country’s third-highest-ranked batter in T20I cricket.

Indian skipper Shreyas Iyer scored a match-winning ton against West Indies on Tuesday. (Deepak Gupta/Hindustan Times)

Iyer, who had been struggling in T20I cricket since taking up the captaincy, responded to his critics in style, hitting 10 fours and six sixes in his 43-ball knock as the two-time defending T20 World Cup champions chased down 172 with 5.2 overs to spare.

Iyer became the third Indian captain to score a century in T20I cricket, joining Rohit Sharma (thrice) and Suryakumar Yadav; however, he remains the only one of the three to do it in a run chase. The previous highest score in the second innings by an Indian captain was 94 not out by Virat Kohli, against the same opponent in Hyderabad in 2019.

The explosive knock saw him jump 18 places to seventh in the ICC Men’s T20I Batting Rankings. Ishan Kishan still leads the rankings, with Abhishek Sharma second and vice-captain Tilak Varma 10th, meaning India have four batters in the top 10.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, meanwhile, who scored 53 runs in two matches during the recent Asian Games campaign in Japan, where India successfully defended their gold medal, jumped eight places to 46th.

Among the bowlers, Axar Patel gained 16 places to reach seventh after taking two wickets in three matches at the Asiad, where India beat Sri Lanka in the final.

India will be back in action in the second T20I against the West Indies on October 9 in Ranchi. India currently lead the five-match series 1-0.

In the ICC Men’s ODI Batting Rankings, India captain Shubman Gill consolidated his position at the top after his unbeaten 223 in the second ODI against the West Indies in Guwahati. His second double-century in the format, which was the highest score in an ODI run chase, helped him add 25 rating points and equal his career-best tally of 841 points. Former captain Virat Kohli slipped from second to third.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aratrick Mondal
Aratrick Mondal is a senior sports journalist based in New Delhi. In his eight years as a sports writer, Aratrick has worked at leading media organisations, including The Times of India, Times Now, Zee, India TV and currently works at a senior position at Hindustan Times Digital. He writes on cricket, football, pickleball and tennis, among other sports. He has extensively covered India's evolving cricket landscape, the country's new-found love for private leagues such as Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK), Rugby Premier League (RPL) and several tennis leagues. He has closely covered emerging sports such as pickleball. His coverage of major franchise events lends an atmospheric flavor to his ground reports. His recent story on how SA20 (the domestic cricket league of South Africa) had opened up its grounds to create a carnival-like fan experience garnered major international attention, including appreciation from major cricketers. Tennis holds a special place in his heart. Aratrick has built a strong niche in analytical tennis stories—ranging from Grand Slam narratives and player profiles to tactical breakdowns and ranking trends. His long-form features often decode grand slams, career highs and lows of tennis greats and the upward trajectory of emerging stars. He also closely follows India's tennis landscape, having covered the Davis Cup, Bengaluru Open and Tata Open, among others. His reporting is backed by strong data capabilities, with hands-on experience using tools like Python, Tableau, and Excel to produce visually rich, insight-led stories. This data-first approach enhances accuracy, transparency, and trust. In leadership roles, he has managed editorial shifts, overseen homepage strategy, optimised SEO workflows, and mentored peers to deliver consistent, high-traffic journalism. He recently won the HT DigiStar award for the third quarter of financial year 2025-26. Aratrick is trusted for his balanced reportage, sound sourcing, and ability to translate complex sporting events into engaging narratives that speak to a wide audience. He believes sports is for everyone, not just for the enthusiasts and has a unique ability to bring people together - just like the sumptuous meals you'll often find him cooking on a weekend evening.Read More

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