Cricket is one of the most well-known and widely watched sports in the world, but it is more popular in countries with a strong sporting culture. Specifically, countries that routinely score well in the ICC rankings. As T20I is the new and exciting format in the sport, these teams are not only aiming to win T20 tournaments, but also taking part in the battle for the top spot in the ICC T20I rankings. These ratings and points have a major influence in sports betting for those who gamble on these games for entertainment purposes, because the points signal a lot of information about who will win.
T20I team rankings
Every year, competition in the T20I ranking remains intense, and 2022 is no exception. According to the ICC's official website, India is ranked first in the men's T20I team rankings as of September 13th, 2022. In July 2022, they defeated England 2-1 in a three-match T20I series to solidify their top spot.
In the five-match series that preceded the Asia Cup, India defeated the West Indies 4-1. Pakistan dropped from second to fourth in the rankings after losing the Asia Cup final to Sri Lanka, leaving England and South Africa in second and third place, respectively.
South Africa, on the other hand, is in third place, just behind England, after winning the last four T20I matches in a row. A seven-match T20I series will be played during England's upcoming tour of Pakistan. As a result, England has a good chance of improving its rating and passing India for first place. For the time being, South Africa will struggle to move up the rankings because they have no T20I matches to play before the ICC Men's T20I World Cup 2022.
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Women's Rankings
The ICC International Rankings place equal merit on the performance of women's teams as that of men's. Australia has a rating of 297, which is far higher than any other team in the ranking table as of September 9th, 2022. They are unbeaten in their last nine T20Is, with two ties and seven victories. The top five teams, along with their ratings, are listed below.
- Australia - 297
- England - 284
- New Zealand - 269
- India - 261
- West Indies - 247
This makes it abundantly clear that the other teams will find it difficult to compete for first place. Even so, England can raise their rating slightly in their current series against India. They have already tied the three-match T20I series at 1-1 and can win the series in their final match. New Zealand have a good chance of gaining points as well, as they have two T20I series left this year. However, clinching the top spot will be difficult for lower-ranked teams because women's T20I matches are played less frequently than men's.
Ranking Calculator
The formation of the ICC T20I rating system falls on the shoulders of David Kendix. The following methods are used to determine the order of the teams.
- When a match ends, each team receives points based on a mathematical formula.
- A team's total points are divided by the total number of matches played by that team to have the rating.
- Based on the order of ratings, teams are ranked in the table.
- Point earnings are dependent on the opponent's ratings before the match starts.
Player Rankings in T20I
When it comes to Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), there's a constant battle for player rankings as well as team rankings. As of now, the top spots in the ICC T20I belong to:
- Mohammad Rizwan in batting,
- Josh Hazlewood in Bowling and
- Shakib Al Hasan in the all-rounder rankings.
After Asia Cup 2022, Babar Azam was displaced by Mohammad Rizwan on the batting ranking and Sakib Al Hasan took the top spot from Afghan all rounder Mohammad Nabi. On the other hand, after an outstanding performance in the Sri Lanka vs Australia T20I series in June, Josh Hazlewood claimed the top spot in the bowling rankings.
Player rankings are also important as players want to be in the top spot to ensure a secured place in the international team and also to maintain self-improvement in the sport.