No other bowler in world cricket has taken more T20I wickets than Varun Chakaravarthy since his international comeback. Once ridiculed for his underwhelming 2021 T20 World Cup campaign, the Tamil Nadu spinner has turned his career around like not many could. Today, he has reached the pinnacle, becoming the No. 1 ranked T20I bowler in the world.
All worth it for Chakaravarthy
At 34, Chakaravarthy’s journey is anything but ordinary. He was trolled for his lack of bite in UAE conditions during India’s failed 2021 World Cup run. But instead of fading away, he went back to the grind, reinvented his craft, and returned sharper than ever. Now, his variations and control have made him arguably the most effective T20 spinner in world cricket.
His latest rise comes on the back of consistent spells in 2024 and this year. After bagging a second career five-wicket haul against England earlier in 2025, Chakaravarthy carried his form into the ongoing Asia Cup. In India’s opener against UAE, he choked the batters with figures of 1/4 before returning 1/24 against Pakistan. In 2024, he played 7 games and took 17 wickets at an incredible average of 12.41. According to ICC, Chakaravarthy is just the third Indian to top the ICC T20I bowling rankings after Jasprit Bumrah and Ravi Bishnoi.
Arshdeep out of top 10
Meanwhile, Arshdeep Singh has been pushed out of top 10. This is due to the fact that he hasn’t been able to find any game time in the ongoing Asia Cup, with India playing Jasprit Bumrah as the only specialist pacer. Arshdeep, who is stranded on 99 T20I wickets, will have to wait for his chances. Right now, he has moved back from ninth place to 14th.
Behind Chakaravarthy, Duffy dropped to second, Akeal Hosein held firm at third, and Adam Zampa climbed to fourth. Sri Lanka’s Nuwan Thushara surged to sixth, while Pakistan’s Muqeem and Abrar rose to 11th and 16th respectively. Among Indians, Kuldeep Yadav’s jump of 16 places to 23rd.
ICC Top-ranked T20I bowlers ft. Varun Chakaravarthy
| Rank | Player | Team | Rating | Career Best Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Varun Chakaravarthy | India | 733 | 733 (vs Pakistan at Dubai, 2025) |
| 2 | Jacob Duffy | New Zealand | 717 | 750 (vs South Africa at Harare, 2025) |
| 3 | Akeal Hosein | West Indies | 707 | 714 (vs Bangladesh at St. Vincent, 2024) |
| 4 | Adam Zampa | Australia | 700 | 746 (vs Sri Lanka at Sydney, 2022) |
| 5 | Adil Rashid | England | 696 | 747 (vs West Indies at Barbados, 2022) |
| 6 | Nuwan Thushara | Sri Lanka | 677 | 689 (vs Bangladesh at Abu Dhabi, 2025) |
| 7 | Wanindu Hasaranga | Sri Lanka | 664 | 809 (vs West Indies at Abu Dhabi, 2021) |
| 8 | Ravi Bishnoi | India | 661 | 707 (vs Australia at Bengaluru, 2023) |
| 9 | Nathan Ellis | Australia | 658 | 664 (vs West Indies at St Kitts, 2025) |
| 10 | Rashid Khan | Afghanistan | 657 | 828 (vs Bangladesh at Dehradun, 2018) |
| 11 | Sufiyan Muqeem | Pakistan | 656 | 656 (vs India at Dubai, 2025) |
| 12 | Axar Patel | India | 655 | 667 (vs Afghanistan at Indore, 2024) |
| 13 | Jofra Archer | England | 644 | 668 (vs India at Chennai, 2025) |
| 14 | Arshdeep Singh | India | 640 | 679 (vs England at Kolkata, 2025) |
| 15 | Mustafizur Rahman | Bangladesh | 639 | 718 (vs Sri Lanka at Colombo, 2017) |
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