India’s nightmare and star Aussie batter overtakes Suryakumar Yadav to become World No. 1 T20I batter

Star India batter Suryakumar Yadav's long spell at the top spot in the ICC T20 batting rankings has finally come to an end.  Australia's swashbuckling opener Travis Head has ousted Suryakumar from the World No. 1 ranking amid the 2024 T20 World Cup, as the governing body released an updated list on Wednesday, June 26. 

Although Australia failed to qualify for the semi-finals, Head had an effective outing in the marquee event. The southpaw is currently the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament with 255 runs at an average of 42.50 and a strike rate of 158.38 and two fifties.

It was his brilliant knock against India in Australia's last Super 8 match that prompted him to dethrone Suryakumar in the list. Although Australia suffered a 24-run loss, which resulted in their elimination, the 30-year-old was impressive with his 76 off 43, including nine fours and four sixes. 

Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav failed to produce his best performance in the tournament. He scored 149 runs in six innings at an average of 29.80 and a strike rate of 139.25, making him the third-highest run scorer for India. Notably, the middle-order batter scored back-to-back crucial half-centuries against the USA and Afghanistan.

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Suryakumar likely to regain top spot as India advance to semi-finals 

Nevertheless, the right-hander is likely to regain his top spot as India are set to play the semi-final against England on Thursday, June 27. Head currently leads the chart with 844 points, just two points ahead of SKY. Meanwhile, England's opener Phillip Salt is a strong competitor of the duo. The power-hitter is currently in third place with 816 points and is in blistering form. 

Pakistan captain Babar Azam and his teammate Mohammad Rizwan are in the fourth and fifth positions, respectively. Young India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal is the only other Indian in the top 10 list of best T20I batters. Notably, the southpaw has not played a single game in the ongoing World Cup.

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