England are on the brink of overtaking India to claim the top spot in the ICC Men’s T20I rankings. The ongoing five‑match series between the two heavyweights was billed as a clash of equals, but the reality has been far more one‑sided.
After the opening game was washed out, England have dominated every contest since. India now trail 3‑0, marking the first time England have beaten them in a bilateral T20I series of two or more matches. This is a stark reversal of history; in the previous six series between the sides, India had won five, with one ending in a draw.
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With the series already lost, India still have two compelling reasons to fight hard at the Rose Bowl in Southampton on July 11. The first is pride. Avoiding a 4‑0 drubbing is essential for a team of India’s stature, if only to salvage dignity.
The second is rankings. India currently sit at the top with 269 rating points, just ahead of England on 267. A win for England in the final T20I would see them leapfrog India, pushing the Men in Blue down to second place. The England captain Harry Brook is eager to surpass India and lead his team to the top of the ICC Men’s T20I team rankings.
“We’ve been told if we win the next game, we go to world No.1 and that’s definitely a prize that we’re eyeing up. India are a strong side. They probably haven’t been as good [in this series] as they have been over the last couple of years, but we’re really happy with the way that we’ve executed our plans,” said Brook.
ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings
| Pos | Team | Matches | Points | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | 57 | 15,315 | 269 |
| 2 | England | 37 | 9,867 | 267 |
| 3 | Australia | 38 | 9,868 | 260 |
| 4 | New Zealand | 50 | 12,348 | 247 |
| 5 | South Africa | 48 | 11,717 | 244 |
| 6 | Pakistan | 57 | 13,679 | 240 |
| 7 | West Indies | 56 | 13,079 | 234 |
| 8 | Bangladesh | 50 | 11,202 | 224 |
| 9 | Sri Lanka | 44 | 9,703 | 221 |
| 10 | Afghanistan | 36 | 7,935 | 220 |
| 11 | Ireland | 29 | 5,942 | 205 |
| 12 | Zimbabwe | 48 | 9,679 | 202 |
| 13 | USA | 20 | 3,650 | 183 |
| 14 | Netherlands | 24 | 4,311 | 180 |
| 15 | Nepal | 43 | 7,699 | 179 |
| 16 | Scotland | 23 | 4,116 | 179 |
| 17 | Namibia | 37 | 6,616 | 179 |
| 18 | United Arab Emirates | 54 | 9,408 | 174 |
| 19 | Oman | 43 | 6,619 | 154 |
| 20 | Canada | 26 | 3,864 | 149 |
