3 Indian bowlers to have held the top spot in ICC Men's T20I Rankings ft. Varun Chakaravarthy

India’s mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy climbed three spots to claim the ICC No. 1 ranking in T20I bowling for the first time in his career on Wednesday, September 17. This rise follows his impressive form over the past 12 months and his performances in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025 in the UAE.

In India’s opening match of the multi-nation tournament on Wednesday, September 10, against the UAE, he returned figures of 1/4 from two overs. In the second game against Pakistan on Sunday, September 14, he bowled four overs for 1/24.

In 2025, Varun Chakaravarthy has played seven games, taking 16 wickets at an average of 10.38, a strike rate of 9.00, and an economy of 6.92, helping him climb to the No. 1 spot in the ICC T20I bowling rankings with 733 points.

As Varun Chakaravarthy reaches the top, we take a look at all three Indian bowlers who have held the No. 1 spot in the ICC Men’s T20I bowling rankings.

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#1 Jasprit Bumrah

Ace India pacer Jasprit Bumrah became the first from the country to reach the top spot in the ICC Men’s T20I bowling rankings in October 2017, overtaking Pakistan’s Imad Wasim with 729 points. By then, Bumrah had played 27 T20I games, taking 37 wickets at an average of 18.03, a strike rate of 16.08, and an economy of 6.73.

As of September 18, 2025, Bumrah is ranked 40th with 537 points. The 31-year-old has featured in 72 T20I matches overall, claiming 92 wickets at an average of 17.67, a strike rate of 16.86, and an economy of 6.29, with his best figures being 3/7.

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#2 Ravi Bishnoi

Leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi became only the second Indian to reach the top of the ICC Men’s T20I bowling rankings on December 6, 2023, rising four spots to overtake Rashid Khan and claim the No. 1 position with a rating of 699. By then, the leg-spinner had played 21 games, taking 34 wickets at an average of 17.38, a strike rate of 14.59, and an economy of 7.15.

Currently, the 25-year-old is ranked eighth with 661 points. He has featured in 42 matches, claiming 61 wickets at an average of 19.37, a strike rate of 15.80, and an economy of 7.35, with his best figures being 4/16.

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#3 Varun Chakaravarthy

The latest addition to the list is Varun Chakaravarthy, who became the third Indian to top the ICC T20I bowling rankings on September 17, 2024, with 733 points.

The 34-year-old has played 20 matches, taking 35 wickets at an average of 14.54 and a strike rate of 12.77. He maintains an economy rate of 6.83, with his best figures of 5/17 coming against South Africa at St George's Park in 2024.