 "Jasprit Bumrah is currently not even in the top 20 because of how less he plays in T20Is. Image: AFP")
India spinner Varun Chakravarthy has created history by becoming the highest-rated Indian bowler in the ICC T20I rankings. In the latest rankings update released on Wednesday, December 17, Chakravarthy achieved his career-best rating of 818 points to remain at the top of the list.
In the process, he surpassed Jasprit Bumrah ’s record for the best rating of all-time for Indian T20I bowlers. Earlier, Bumrah held the record with a career-high rating of 783 points, which he achieved in February 2017 after a brilliant spell of 3/14 against England. Chakravarthy has now bettered that mark, reaching 818 rating points.
Highest bowler ratings - Men’s T20I
| BOWLER | RATING |
|---|---|
| Umar Gul (Pakistan) | 865 |
| Samuel Badree (West Indies) | 864 |
| Daniel Vettori (New Zealand) | 858 |
| Sunil Narine (West Indies) | 832 |
| Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) | 828 |
| Tabraiz Shamsi (South Africa) | 827 |
| Shahid Afridi (Pakistan) | 822 |
| Varun Chakravarthy (India) | 818 |
| Shadab Khan (Pakistan) | 811 |
| Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka) | 809 |
The right-arm spinner first reached the top spot in September during the Asia Cup 2025 and has continued his strong form since then. In the ongoing T20I series against South Africa, Chakravarthy has picked up six wickets in the first three matches. His best performance came in the third T20I at Dharamsala, where he returned impressive figures of 2/11 from four overs.
Chakravarthy currently enjoys a big lead at the top of the rankings, with a 119-point gap over second-placed New Zealand fast bowler Jacob Duffy, who has 699 rating points. Meanwhile, left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh moved up four places to 16th spot in the ICC T20I bowling rankings. overall.
In the batting rankings, India now have two players inside the top five. Tilak Varma has climbed two spots to fourth with 774 rating points after a consistent run against South Africa. Meanwhile, Abhishek Sharma continues to dominate the charts at number one, holding a strong lead with 909 rating points.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav has slipped to the number ten position after failing to regain form against South Africa. He did not score too many runs in the Asia Cup as well, and last scored a half-century in the form in October 2024. SKY will look to bounce back in the fourth match against South Africa on Wednesday.