KL Rahul moves to career-high third position in T20I rankings
Dubai, July 9 : Top-order batsman Lokesh Rahuls scores of 70, 101 not out, six and 19 have made him India's highest-ranked batsman in Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) as he moved up nine places to a career-high third position in the ICC rankings.
Opener Rohit Sharma in 11th rank (up by two places) and captain Virat Kohli in 12th rank (down by four places) are the next highest-ranked India batsmen.
Meanwhile, Australia opener Aaron Finch became the first player in the history of T20Is to break the 900-point mark as he moved up three places to finish the tri-series in Harare against Pakistan and Zimbabwe as the top-ranked batsman in the shortest format of the game.
Finch, who captained Australia to the final, had touched the 900-point mark following his record-breaking knock of 172 (76b, 10x6, 16x4) against Zimbabwe in Harare on July 3.
The 31-year-old from Victoria eventually finished the T20Is (also comprising a one-off against England at Edgbaston) in number-one position on 891 points.
Finch had started the T20Is in fourth position on 763 points and a tour aggregate of 391 runs not only helped him leapfrog Babar Azam, Colin Munro and Glen Maxwell, but also earned him 128 points.
In the latest player rankings, which also takes into account India's 2-0 and 2-1 series win against Ireland and England, respectively, Finch leads Pakistan's left-handed opener Fakhar Zaman by 45 points.
Like Finch, Fakhar was in stellar form in Harare, when he totaled 278 runs in the series, including a match-winning 91 against Australia after Pakistan had slumped to two for two after being set a victory target of 184.
Fakhar's string of good scores, that also included knocks of 61, six, 47 and 73, have helped him vault 44 places to claim second position. He has now become Pakistan's highest-ranked batsman after Babar Azam slipped from first to fifth due to his absence because of an injury.
Australia's D'Arcy Short, Jason Roy of England and Solomon Mire have also achieved career-best rankings following the latest update.
Short has broken into the top-10 for the first time in his career in 10th position, moving up 18 places. Roy has gained 19 places and is now in 15th spot, while Mire has rocketed 202 places to claim 25th position - seven places behind Hamilton Masakadza.
In the bowling table, Rashid Khan of Afghanistan and Shadab Khan of Pakistan have retained the top two positions, but there have been a number of movements down the order with Australia's Andrew Tye and Billy Stanlake, and England's trio of Adil Rashid, Liam Plunkett and David Willey achieving career-high rankings.
Tye has risen 41 places to seventh in the latest rankings after taking 12 wickets in Harare, Rashid has claimed ninth position after moving up four places, Plunkett has gained 14 places and is now in 11th spot, Willey has risen 12 places to 15th and Stanlake's seven wickets have given him a leap of 60 places that has put him in 19th position.
Other bowlers to head in the right direction include Mohammad Amir (12th, up by six places), Hardik Pandya (29th, up by five places), Mohammad Nawaz (32nd, up by nine places), Faheem Ashraf (33rd, up by 21 places), Kuldeep Yadav (34th, up by 41 places) and Ashton Agar (45th, up by 39 places).
There is no change in the top three all-rounders, with Maxwell leading the field. Afghanistan's Mohammad Nabi is second, while Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh is third.
Meanwhile, in the ICC T20I Team Rankings, Pakistan have retained the top position with their tri-series victory while India have overtaken Australia to take second place after clinching their three-match series against England 2-1.
The top three sides are now separated by 10 points, while three points separate fourth-ranked England and seventh-ranked West Indies.
Team rankings remain crucial as Australia plus the next nine highest-ranked sides will qualify directly for the 16-team ICC Men's World T20 2020 in Australia.
The remaining six sides will qualify from the 14-team ICC Men's World T20 Qualifier 2019, which will be participated in by the six sides from the ICC World T20 2016, which are not in the Top 10 of the MRF Tyres ICC T20I Team Rankings as on 31 December 2018, alongside the eight qualifiers from the regional finals.
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Punjab CM Mann calls twin blasts 'minor', blames BJP for creating atmosphere of fear
Chandigarh (PTI): Terming the twin blasts in Amritsar and Jalandhar "minor", Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday targeted the BJP and said this was how the party was preparing for the upcoming assembly elections in the state.
Two blasts occurred on Tuesday night, one outside the Border Security Force's Punjab Frontier headquarters in Jalandhar at around 8 pm and another near the army cantonment area in Khasa, Amritsar, at around 11 pm.
The BJP wants to create an atmosphere of fear, Mann told reporters, adding that the party wanted to scare people into getting their votes. "BJP is a communal party. The assembly elections are over in West Bengal, and they (BJP) have said that now it is Punjab's turn, which indicates that these minor blasts are part of their preparation for the Punjab assembly elections," the chief minister said, adding that investigations are underway.
Mann further alleged that the BJP always sought to gain votes by inciting violence and intimidating the public.
"I urge the BJP to cease such tactics. Punjab is a peaceful state. We are the people who always seek the welfare of the world," Mann said while speaking to reporters in Anandpur Sahib after starting his four-day 'Shukrana Yatra' for the implementation of the anti-sacrilege law.
He claimed that the BJP had a penchant for stirring up trouble in states where it is contesting elections.
Noting the significance of the newly enacted anti-sacrilege law -- the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Amendment Act, 2026 -- Mann stated that it counteracts the BJP's efforts to provoke conflict between communities.
"With the anti-sacrilege law in place, no one will engage in sacrilegious acts at their behest," he said, further alleging that the law contradicts the BJP's agenda.
Mann expressed concern regarding the BJP's tactics, saying, "The BJP claims it is ready for Punjab. Are they trying to scare people with these minor blasts to secure votes? Punjab has already experienced dark times in the past."
"This is the BJP's style of working. In every state where it contests elections, it instigates riots, carries out minor blasts, and divides people based on religion and caste. This demonstrates their preparation for Punjab," he further alleged.
Mann also noted that Punjab often plays a significant role whenever the country faces a crisis. He emphasised that peace, along with law and order, will be maintained at all costs.
Later, in a statement, Mann alleged that the bomb blasts in Amritsar and Jalandhar were part of a deliberate strategy to destabilise the state after the passage of the anti-sacrilege law.
Drawing parallels with West Bengal, Mann alleged that the BJP "thrives on creating communal tension, panic and unrest in poll-bound states to polarise voters," but asserted that peace-loving Punjabis would never allow the saffron party to destroy the hard-earned harmony of Punjab for electoral gains.
He further alleged that the BJP was trying to create "unrest" in Punjab on the pattern of West Bengal ahead of elections, but the people of Punjab are politically aware and united against such conspiracies.
"Violence, divisiveness and communal tension are the patent of the BJP and an integral part of the saffron party's politics. BJP is trying to incite violence and fear in Punjab on the pattern of Bengal to win the ensuing polls. However, BJP's nefarious designs will never succeed in Punjab because anything can germinate on the fertile land of Punjab, but seeds of hatred can never grow here," the chief minister claimed.
Condemning the blasts in the state, Mann alleged such incidents reflected the BJP's "brand of politics", aimed at spreading terror and panic to polarise society and garner votes. "This divisive politics is being pursued by the BJP in every poll-bound state for electoral gains," he alleged.
Mann said those responsible for the blasts would soon be exposed and brought to justice. "All those involved in this heinous crime against humanity will be brought to book and put behind bars very soon. Strict punishment will be ensured for these people because the Punjab Government has zero tolerance for any activity that threatens the peace, safety and integrity of Punjab," he said.
In response to a question about the West Bengal assembly elections, Mann mentioned Mamata Banerjee's complaints regarding the looting of the electoral mandate. "The Election Commission is also facing accusations. It should clarify its stance, ensuring it is not one-sided," Mann added.
