Ravi Bishnoi Storms to No. 1 in T20I Rankings, Overtaking Rashid Khan

India's young leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi reached a major milestone in his international career in December 2023, rising to the top of the ICC Men's T20I bowling rankings. Bishnoi overtook Afghanistan's Rashid Khan after a series of outstanding performances for India.

Bishnoi climbed to the No. 1 spot with 699 rating points, seven points ahead of Rashid Khan, who had 692. His rise came after a superb performance in India's five-match T20I series against Australia. India won the series 4-1, with Bishnoi taking nine wickets and being named Player of the Series.

At the time, Bishnoi had played only 21 T20I matches but had already collected 34 wickets. His quick leg-spin, deceptive googlies and ability to maintain pressure on batters made him one of India's most effective T20 bowlers. He also boasted an impressive economy rate of 7.14.

Bishnoi's rise, however, was not entirely unexpected. He had already caught the attention of the cricketing world during the 2020 ICC Under-19 World Cup in South Africa, where he finished as the tournament's leading wicket-taker with 17 wickets.

Despite competing for opportunities alongside experienced Indian spinners such as Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal, Bishnoi continued to make an impact whenever he was given a chance.

His performances against Australia eventually earned him one of the biggest honours of his young career—becoming the world's No. 1 T20I bowler.

ICC T20I Bowling Rankings at the Time

1. Ravi Bishnoi (India) — 699
2. Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) — 692
3. Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka) — 679
4. Adil Rashid (England) — 679
5. Maheesh Theekshana (Sri Lanka) — 677
6. Sam Curran (England) — 659
7. Fazalhaq Farooqi (Afghanistan) — 657
8. Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Afghanistan) — 656
9. Akeal Hosein (West Indies) — 655
10. Anrich Nortje (South Africa) — 647

Bishnoi's rise to the top was a reflection of his rapid development. From dominating at the Under-19 level to becoming a key performer for India, the young leg-spinner had firmly established himself as one of the country's most exciting spin-bowling prospects.