Varun Chakaravarthy creates history, becomes No. 1 T20I bowler for the first time

Prior to Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravi Bishnoi were on that exceptional list of fast bowlers, who both raised the benchmarks for T20 bowling.

New Delhi: In a historic achievement, mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy rose to the top of the ICC Men’s T20I bowling rankings for the first time in his career. Chakaravarthy, whose previous best was second place in February 2025, displaced New Zealand's Jacob Duffy, who had held the top position since March.

"Indian spinner Varun Chakaravarthy has been rewarded for his consistent form in 2025 by becoming the No.1 ranked bowler on the latest ICC Men's T20I Player Rankings," the ICC said in a statement.

PAK vs UAE: Pakistan faces crucial clash against UAE to secure super 4 spot, Know match details

Spectacular Permonaces by Stalwart Bowler

Chakravarthy's recent performance at the ongoing 2025 Asia Cup played a large part in the reason for his climb. With back to back economical and wicket-taking performances, Chakravarthy assisted the Indian team in critical matches while also moving up the ICC Rankings.

Additionally, Chakravarthy's consistency over the past year is another major factor, of creating breakthroughs intermittently while denying the opposition batters any comfort when batting.

Third Indian bowler to reach top spot

With this honour, Chakravarthy becomes the third Indian bowler to reach the number 1 ranking in ICC's T20I bowling charts. Prior to Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravi Bishnoi were on that exceptional list of fast bowlers, who both raised the benchmarks for T20 bowling.

No Regrets: Yousuf refuses to apologize for statement on Suryakumar, Brings Up Irfan Pathan’s Afridi Slur

Chakravarthy's achievement has additional bragging rights since he took an untraditional journey to cricket, and then a delayed rise as an international cricketer.

Chakravarthy’s rise strengthens India’s bowling depth

At the age of 34, the spinner from Tamil Nadu showcased that age is irrelevant when skills and determination are present. His success adds one more layer of depth to India’s bowling line-up, which already includes top-class spin and pace bowlers.

Timing is also favourable for India in the context of the Asia Cup, where it shows their bowling unit is strong as they head into the knockout stages. For Chakravarthy, it is a big moment, and a reward for his perseverance and adaptability since entering the international arena.

Meanwhile, Abhishek Sharma continues to dominate the ICC T20I batting rankings, retaining the top spot with a career-best rating of 884 points. England’s Phil Salt holds second place, followed by Jos Buttler at third. Tilak Varma is ranked fourth, while Australia’s Travis Head rounds off the top five.