Pakistan’s Minor Decline Tightens Race with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh
ISLAMABAD: New Zealand has surged to fourth place in the latest ICC Men’s T20I rankings following a commanding 4-1 series victory over Pakistan. The Black Caps demonstrated their dominance, securing four out of five matches, despite Pakistan’s record-breaking run chase in the third game.
New Zealand Overtakes West Indies & South Africa
With this triumph, New Zealand now holds 14,367 points and a rating of 248, surpassing both the West Indies and South Africa, who are tied at 247. The impressive series win has cemented their position in the top four of the global rankings.
Pakistan Slips Slightly, Competition Heats Up
Pakistan, on the other hand, faced a minor setback, as their rating dipped from 236 to 235. Despite retaining their seventh-place ranking, the gap between Pakistan, Sri Lanka (232), and Bangladesh (229) has significantly narrowed, intensifying the competition in the rankings.
India Maintains No.1 Spot in ICC Men’s T20I Rankings
At the top of the leaderboard, India continues to reign supreme with a rating of 269, followed by Australia (259) and England (254) in second and third place, respectively.
Rankings & 2026 T20 World Cup Qualification
Although these latest ICC rankings highlight the competitive landscape, they do not influence the qualification process for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Twelve teams, including hosts India and Sri Lanka, have already secured their spots. The remaining teams will battle for qualification through four regional tournaments.
Updated ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings (Post NZ vs PAK Series)
| Position | Team | Matches | Points | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | 75 | 20,170 | 269 |
| 2 | Australia | 48 | 12,417 | 259 |
| 3 | England | 50 | 12,688 | 254 |
| 4 | New Zealand | 58 | 14,367 | 248 |
| 5 | West Indies | 59 | 14,587 | 247 |
| 6 | South Africa | 46 | 11,345 | 247 |
| 7 | Pakistan | 58 | 13,647 | 235 |
| 8 | Sri Lanka | 48 | 11,159 | 232 |
| 9 | Bangladesh | 56 | 12,797 | 229 |
| 10 | Afghanistan | 42 | 9,322 | 222 |
| 11 | Zimbabwe | 58 | 11,429 | 197 |
| 12 | Ireland | 50 | 9,775 | 196 |
| 13 | Scotland | 27 | 5,151 | 191 |
| 14 | Netherlands | 28 | 5,131 | 183 |
| 15 | Namibia | 44 | 8,032 | 179 |
| 16 | UAE | 58 | 10,389 | 171 |
| 17 | Nepal | 46 | 7,852 | 170 |
| 18 | USA | 33 | 5,626 | 164 |
| 19 | Oman | 53 | 8,161 | 154 |
| 20 | PNG | 31 | 4,472 | 144 |
Looking Ahead
With the T20 World Cup 2026 on the horizon, teams will be eager to improve their standings in upcoming bilateral series and tournaments. Pakistan will aim to rebound in their next international fixtures, while New Zealand will seek to maintain their top-four position in the ICC rankings.
Stay updated for more ICC Men’s T20I rankings news and cricket analysis!