How Mohammad Rizwan overtook Babar Azam as No 1 T20 batsman

Wicketkeeper-batsman climbs to top of ICC rankings for T20 batsmen after great run in Asia Cup

Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan, right, has overtaken captain Babar Azam as the top-ranked batsman in T20 cricket. AFP

Pakistan's captain Babar Azam, right, and Mohammad Rizwan have been in great form in white-ball cricket. AFP

Babar Azam, right, and Mohammad Rizwan form the backbone of Pakistan's batting. AFP

Mohammad Rizwan, right, has leapfrogged the likes of Babar Azam and Virat Kohli to become the top T20 batsman. AFP

Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan after being dismissed during the Asia Cup match against Afghanistan at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, September 7, 2022. AFP

Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan is among the top scorers in the ongoing Asia Cup. AFP

Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan during the Asia Cup clash against India. AP

Pakistan have hit a purple patch in T20 cricket and it is reflected in the rankings table.

On Wednesday, Babar Azam's team's pulled off one of the greatest T20 wins in modern times to break Afghanistan's hearts in Sharjah and storm into the final of the Asia Cup tournament.

The tension spilled onto the stands as pacer Naseem Shah hit successive sixes in the last over to steal an improbable one-wicket win while chasing a modest 130. With that, Pakistan knocked India and Afghanistan out of the race for a spot in the final and booked a title clash with Sri Lanka in Dubai on Sunday.

Pakistan's brilliant run in the UAE coincided with the rise of wicketkeeper batsman Mohammad Rizwan to the top of the ICC rankings for T20 batsmen.

With scores of 43, 78*, 71, and 20, Rizwan overtook his captain Babar as the top-ranked batsman in the 20-over format.

"Our performance and effort is for everyone to see," Rizwan had said earlier in the Asia Cup.

"Boys are putting in their 100 per cent and gelling well together and catering to the demand of our nation. The result is in the hands of God."

The T20 rankings for batsmen has been more or less dominated by Pakistan batsmen, with England's Dawid Malan the other batsman consistently in the mix.