(Cricket News) There is a new No. 1 T20I bowler in town, and his name is Ravi Bishnoi. The 23-year-old spinner from India has completed his meteoric rise to the top of the ICC rankings for T20I bowlers.

After taking nine wickets from five games in a series against Australia at an average of 18.22, Bishnoi, with 699 points, has dethroned Rashid Khan as the world’s top bowler, dislodging the likes of Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga and England’s Adil Rashid to share No. 3, and then SL’s Mahesh Theekshana at No. 5, forming a top five dominated by spinners.

After registering figures of 3/32, 2/32, 2/29, 1/17, and 1/54 against the Australians, Bishnoi—who was ranked seventh—rose six spots to the top of the rankings. Bishnoi’s stock has been rising since he represented India in the 2022 Under-19 World Cup, finishing as the leading wicket-taker with 17 scalps and drawing attention as soon as India won the Under-19 trophy.

Later that year, Bishnoi made his Asia Cup debut, taking out former Pakistan captain Babar Azam’s wicket. In just 21 ODIs, Bishnoi has already claimed 34 wickets at an average of 17.38, including a career-best 4/16 against the West Indies at Lauderhill in August of last year. The ranking is timely for Bishnoi, who is one of many young players trying out for the T20 World Cup in 2020.

With Yuzvendra Chahal out of the T20I squad and the management looking to assemble a young team for the World Cup in the West Indies and the USA, Bishnoi could prove to be a formidable opponent for the top spot in the spin department.

In addition, Axar Patel, another talented spinner from India, has jumped nine spots to be ranked 18. Suryakumar Yadav remains the undisputed leader in the T20I rankings, while Hardik Pandya, who has not played a T20I since August, is still ranked third among all-rounders in the T20Is.

See more: Danielle Wyatt’s Stellar Performance Leads England to a 38-Run Victory Against India.