ICC Rankings: Why a run-out could keep Suryakumar Yadav away from T20I Rankings summit? - Explained

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Suryakumar Yadav and Mohammad Rizwan are involved in a big hustle for the top spot in the International Cricket Council (ICC) T20I batters rankings as they run a tight contest. While Suryakumar is firing on all cylinders, Rizwan is also enjoying the top form that has seen him amass five fifties in seven innings. However, a runout could have cost Suryakumar a place at the top of the T20I batters ranking.

Why could a runout cost Suryakumar a place at the top?

The ICC rankings are determined by several factors that contribute to player rankings every Wednesday. The factors used to determine the batters’ rankings are –

1. Runs Scored by a Batsman
2. Rating of the Opposition Bowlers
3. Level of Runs Scoring
4. Not Out Innings
5. Result of the match

As things stand, Rizwan had an off day after he was dismissed for just one run against England while Surya was scoring for fun as he amassed 61 off just 22 deliveries. According to the ICC algorithm that determines the standings, Suryakumar is superior to Rizwan in four of the five categories mentioned. However, a run-out on the first ball of the 19th over could turn out to be a huge factor as Surya will miss out on valuable points for getting dismissed.

While there is a 60-point gap between the Rizwan and Suryakumar, the gap could be reduced on Tuesday when India take on South Africa in the final T20I. If Surya does play, he will be expected to breach the gap and reduce it significantly but if he misses out on the top spot the runout could prove to be the Achilles heel for him.

How many games are still there before the World Cup for both players?

Tuesday’s encounter will be Suryakumar’s final T20I (if he plays) before the T20 World Cup. While India will play both Australia and New Zealand in the warm-up, those matches won’t be counted in the ICC rankings.

On the bigger picture, Rizwan will have a minimum of four and a maximum of five matches in the tri-series in New Zealand, where Bangladesh are the other nation. So, Rizwan will have more matches to play compared to Suryakumar and that could cost him a place at the top next week. However, for the time being, the Indian ace is a top contender to surpass Rizwan in the T20I batters ranking of the ICC which will be released on Wednesday afternoon.