Photo via Hindustan Times

Abhishek Sharma storms past Sahibzada Farhan after blistering batting against Afghanistan

India opener Abhishek Sharma has climbed to second place in the ICC men's T20I batting rankings, overtaking Pakistan's Sahibzada Farhan following dominant displays against Afghanistan. Abhishek struck 82 runs from 32 deliveries in the opener and added 39 off 19 in the second match, powering India to consecutive victories.

He now sits 51 rating points behind his compatriot Ishan Kishan, who holds the top spot. Kishan entered the series fresh off leading East Zone to a Duleep Trophy triumph over South Zone in Chennai—where he notched innings of 270 and 80—and followed it with scores of 42 off 33 balls and an unbeaten 38 off 23 balls in the first two T20Is.

Several Indian bowlers also achieved significant ranking gains, with Jasprit Bumrah surging seven spots back into the top 10 while building match sharpness ahead of the Asian Games, having been sidelined since July's ODI series in England and skipping August's Tests in Sri Lanka. Arshdeep Singh jumped 11 spots to reach 14th, while Varun Chakaravarthy rose two rungs to fifth.