ICC T20I rankings: Babar Azam drops 10 points, only 45 ahead of second-placed KL Rahul

The rise of 25-year-old Babar Azam has proved to be monumental for Pakistan cricket. The country, better known for producing lethal fast-bowlers, has finally found a batsman that the country's modern generation can take a cue from. The belief that Pakistan management has on the youngster was reaffirmed when he was given the onus to lead Pakistan in white-ball cricket. 

Rise of Babar Azam 

Babar Azam has been a prolific success for the country, as he comfortably sits at the top of the ICC T20I rankings for batting. Moreover, he is the only batsman to feature in the top 5 rankings in all formats at the moment in world cricket. The elegant batsman is positioned at number five in the ICC Test Batting rankings, whereas he is 3rd in One-Day Internationals. This feat further solidifies Babar Azam's contribution to Pakistan cricket and his consistency across formats. 

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After the recently concluded T20 series in England, Babar Azam, who scored 56 and 21 in the two T20s maintained his position in the ICC T20I rankings despite a 10-point drop. Indian wicket-keeper-batsman KL Rahul trails in second place by just 45 points.

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KL Rahul vs Babar Azam 

In 41 ODIs Babar Azam has scored 1,548 runs at a decent strike-rate of 128 with 14 half-centuries to his name. He is the joint-fastest player to score 1500 runs in T20Is, along with Virat Kohli and Aaron Finch. KL Rahul is also inching closer to the 1500-run mark. With 1,464 runs in 41 T20Is at an impressive strike-rate of 146, KL Rahul is only just lagging behind Babar Azam in terms of numbers. Babar Azam, with 869 points is ruling the ICC T20I rankings. However, with 824 points, KL Rahul is in touching distance of Pakistan's limited-overs captain. 

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Babar Azam is often compared to Virat Kohli because of their similar batting style. Virat Kohli sits 10th in the ICC T20I rankings with 673 points and is far behind Babar in the shortest format in the rankings. This could very well be because India featured in a very limited number of matches as compared to Pakistan. The all time-highest ICC T20I rankings for Babar Azam is 896,  which still is one point behind Kohli's 897. 

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IPL 2020 inches closer

Virat Kohli and KL Rahul have resumed training in the UAE after completion of a 6-day self-isolation period. IPL 2020 is scheduled to commence from September 19, with the final set to be held on November 10. 

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