Virat Kohli: Patchy form but still number one T20 batsman

India’s Virat Kohli has become the number-one ranked T20 batsman in the ICC Player Rankings for the first time in his career. Apart from Kohli, Suresh Raina is the only other Indian batsman in top 10.

This followed his powerful performance in the one-off T20 in Birmingham on Sunday, where England beat India by three runs in a last-ball thriller.

Kohli’s 41-ball 66 has earned him eight ratings points, which has pushed his tally up to 897 ratings points. In the process, he has overtaken Australia’s newly-appointed T20 captain Aaron Finch by five ratings points, according to an ICC media release.

The 25-year-old from Delhi, who was ICC’s ODI Cricketer of the Year in 2012, is now this year’s second highest run-scorer in T20s with 385 runs, including five half-centuries.

England’s Alex Hales, who scored 40 on Sunday and occupies third position, leads the run-scores’ table with 397 runs.

Kohli is followed by Suresh Raina in 10th place, as the only other Indian batsman inside the top 10.

England captain Eoin Morgan, who won the player of the match award, has been rewarded with a jump of six places to occupy 14th position. Morgan’s 71 runs off just 31 deliveries contributed significantly to England’s match-winning total of 180 runs.

Amongst the bowlers, Steven Finn has climbed up seven spots to 24th, while Ravindra Jadeja is right behind him in 25th position, having risen three spots.

Mohammad Shami, playing in only his fourth T20I, returned match figures of three for 38, which has seen him vault 34 places to 144th in the Reliance ICC Player Ranking for T20I bowlers.