🏏🔥 Farhan Achieves Career-Best Rank as Babar, Nawaz & Faheem Rise — Complete 2025 T20I Rankings Shake-Up | Cricketory Analysis
The T20I world has witnessed one of the most dramatic ranking overhauls of the year — and Pakistan cricket sits right at the center of the storm. In a week filled with explosive performances, consistency battles, and intense tri-series matchups, Sahibzada Farhan’s breakout moment has taken the cricket world by surprise.
His incredible rise to the Top 5 T20I batters on the planet marks a defining chapter for Pakistan’s white-ball future. But he isn’t alone — Babar Azam, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, and several others have also seen major shifts across batting, bowling, and all-rounder rankings.
Let’s break it all down.
🌟🔥 Farhan’s Explosion Into the Top 5 A New Pakistani Superstar?
In a move that stunned even seasoned analysts, Sahibzada Farhan rocketed eight places to secure the No. 4 position in the ICC T20I batting rankings with 776 rating points — the highest of his career.
🌠 What makes this rise special?
- He was ranked outside the Top 10 only days ago.
- Pakistan has rarely had a new face break into the Top 5 this quickly.
- His strike rate, intent, and consistency during the Zimbabwe–Sri Lanka tri-series were unmatched.
- His powerplay numbers have been the best for any Pakistan opener in 2025.
🧠 Cricketory Technical Analysis
Farhan’s rise isn’t just about runs — it’s about match definition:
| Metric | Value | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Powerplay Strike Rate | 153+ | Pakistan’s best in 2025 |
| Balls per Boundary | 4.1 | Elite tier |
| Dot-Ball Percentage | 29% | Extremely low for an opener |
| Average vs Pace | 47+ | Dominates fast bowlers |
| Pressure Index | Mid-Low | Rare calmness under pressure |
Farhan’s unique ability to combine aggression with stability makes him a multi-format candidate, not just a T20 hitter.
🇵🇰⭐ Babar Azam Climbs Again — Back Toward the Top?
Babar Azam, once the world’s No. 1 T20I batter for a record duration, continues his steady recovery. With a leap of five rankings, Babar now sits at 29th with 572 points.
🎯 What’s Behind Babar’s Climb?
- Far more stable strike rotation in recent matches
- Reduced dot-ball pressure
- Improved strike rate during middle overs
- Better adaptability on slow surfaces
While critics say his strike rate still needs to be higher, the improvement is clearly measurable.
🧠 Cricketory Insight
Babar has entered a reinvention phase. His new intent is visible in:
- Earlier trigger movements
- Willingness to loft spin
- Better boundary access against left-arm bowlers
This upward ranking trend is expected to continue if his form sustains.
🟩🅰️ Saim Ayub Holds Steady — Still a Long-Term Asset
Saim Ayub remains at 37th with 538 points. Though he hasn’t moved much, this stability reflects reliability during an inconsistent Pakistan batting period.
🧠 Cricketory Analysis
Saim’s technique is elite — but his shot selection under pressure and tendency to over-hit early limit his rankings rise.
Once he balances aggression with selection maturity, he could challenge the Top 10.
👎📉 Rizwan Slips — A Temporary Dip or Something Bigger?
Mohammad Rizwan has dropped five places to 46th with 514 points.
Why the decline?
- Mixed form during the tri-series
- Fewer match-defining knocks
- Lower boundary percentage compared to 2022–23 peak
- Increasing competition from explosive batters globally
🧠 Cricketory Insight
This dip isn’t alarming — but Pakistan’s shift toward aggressive powerplay batting may reduce Rizwan’s anchor role unless he adapts.
📈🔥 Fakhar Zaman +3 His Vintage Form Still Alive
Fakhar moving up three spots to 57th shows he is still capable of delivering impactful knocks.
His hitting arc over mid-wicket remains one of the most powerful zones in T20 cricket, and when he connects early, Pakistan’s totals skyrocket.
📉🇵🇰 Salman Ali Agha Falls Captain But Under Pressure
Salman Ali Agha dropped seven ranks to 63rd, raising concerns over:
- His strike rate
- Middle-overs rotation
- Match-impact compared to other captains
🧠 Cricketory Insight
Unless Salman finds a stable batting identity, he risks becoming a utility player rather than a leader.
🧨📉 Middle-Order Downward Trend A Warning Sign
Several Pakistan middle-order names slid down the rankings. This highlights the biggest Pakistani weakness:
❗ Lack of middle-overs acceleration
❗ Inability to build partnerships
❗ Over-reliance on openers
The T20 World Cup demands stability + firepower, and Pakistan currently lacks a reliable No. 4–6 combination.
🔥 Global Top 3 Abhishek Sharma, Phil Salt & Tilak Varma Run the Show
India’s Abhishek Sharma holds the No.1 T20I batter spot, showing the rise of India’s new-gen hitters.
England’s Phil Salt sits 2nd, and India’s Tilak Varma sits 3rd — a new era of aggressive cricket.
Their high strike rates, adaptability across conditions, and fearless approach represent the global T20 revolution.
🎯🎳 Bowling Rankings Abrar, Nawaz & Faheem Shake Up the List
🔥 Abrar Ahmed — Pakistan’s Mystery Weapon
Abrar stays 8th with 659 points, proving consistency in all conditions.
🔥 Mohammad Nawaz — Monster Leap
Nawaz rose 14 spots to 13th — one of the biggest jumps of the year.
His improved accuracy, flight control, and wicket-taking ability in middle overs have revived his T20 career.
🔥 Shaheen Afridi — Down Four to 18th
Fatigue, injury recovery, and lack of rhythm have contributed to this fall.
🔥 Sufiyan Muqeem – Down 4
Needs more international exposure.
🔥 Salman Mirza – Up 5
Pakistan’s uncut diamond. His pace variations and seam movement make him a future star.
🔥 Haris Rauf – Down 7
Economy issues remain a problem.
🔥 Faheem Ashraf – Up 9 (53rd)
His all-round value is finally being recognized internationally.
🔥 Abbas Afridi – Down 11 (66th)
Still raw but talented — needs better death bowling discipline.
🏏💥 All-Rounder Rankings Raza Takes No.1, Nawaz Climbs
🥇 Sikandar Raza Surpasses Saim Ayub
Zimbabwe’s evergreen warrior becomes the No.1 T20I all-rounder, overtaking Saim.
🟩 Nawaz Rises to 7th
A major jump — he is now Pakistan’s most valuable T20 all-rounder statistically.
📉 Faheem Drops to 35th
📉 Shaheen to 59th
📉 Salman Agha to 69th
📉 Abbas Afridi to 81st
Pakistan needs better all-round balance before the 2025 World Cup.
📊 What These Rankings Mean for Pakistan’s Future
Cricketory predicts:
⭐ Pakistan’s powerplay will be world-class with Farhan–Saim
⭐ Middle-order instability remains the biggest problem
⭐ Bowling is strong but inconsistent
⭐ Nawaz and Faheem are crucial ahead of World Cup
⭐ Pakistan must modernize their T20 strategy: More aggression, less anchor play
📌 Cricketory Insights What No One Else Will Tell You
🔥 Insight #1
Farhan is Pakistan’s best powerplay batter since Sharjeel Khan 2016 peak, but with better discipline.
🔥 Insight #2
Babar’s ranking rise signals his technical adjustments are finally working.
🔥 Insight #3
Rizwan’s decline has more to do with global T20 inflation — world cricket is more aggressive now.
🔥 Insight #4
Nawaz’s bowling improvement is linked to his increased arm speed, reducing predictability.
🔥 Insight #5
Faheem Ashraf is Pakistan’s most underrated T20 asset, offering death overs + finishing ability.
❓ FAQs
Q1: How did Farhan rise to No. 4 in batting rankings?
A: Because of consistent high-impact innings during the 2025 tri-series.
Q2: Why is Rizwan slipping?
A: Lower boundary percentage and increased global competition.
Q3: Who is Pakistan’s highest-ranked bowler?
A: Abrar Ahmed (8th).
Q4: Who is the No.1 T20I all-rounder?
A: Sikandar Raza.
Q5: Will Babar return to the Top 10?
A: If his current intent continues, yes — Cricketory analysts expect a big jump soon.
🏏 Final Cricketory Verdict
This is one of the most dynamic ranking shifts Pakistan has seen:
- Farhan is the future superstar
- Babar is deep in revival mode
- Nawaz is Pakistan’s new clutch all-rounder
- Bowling depth is improving
- Middle order weak but fixable
Pakistan’s T20 team is entering a new era — explosive, young, unpredictable, and full of potential.