Shakib reclaims top spot in All-rounders

In a surprising turn of events, Shakib Al Hasan has once again ascended to the number one position in the ICC T20 all-rounder rankings. This shift occurred despite Shakib not playing any matches during this period, a fact that has astonished many.

Sri Lankan captain Wanindu Hasaranga's underperformance in the World Cup opener against South Africa caused his downfall, allowing Shakib to reclaim the top spot. In their first World Cup match, Sri Lanka suffered a humiliating collapse, getting all out for just 77 runs and subsequently losing the match by six wickets to the Proteas. Hasaranga's performance with the bat was particularly disappointing, as he was dismissed for a duck after facing only two balls. Despite his poor batting performance, Hasaranga did shine with the ball, taking two wickets for 22 runs.

The match took place on June 3 at Nassau County Cricket Stadium in New York. Hasaranga’s bright bowling performance, however, could not compensate for his failure with the bat, leading to a loss of six rating points in the T20 all-rounder rankings and ultimately costing him the top spot.

The ICC released the latest weekly update of the men's cricket rankings on Wednesday, June 5, based on the performances from the first seven matches of the ongoing ICC 2024 T20 World Cup. Shakib, with his existing 223 rating points, returned to the top position, pushing Hasaranga, now with 222 points, to second place. This update underscores Shakib's consistent excellence in the T20 format, even in the absence of recent match play.