West Indies Ascend in Rankings Ahead of T20 World Cup
As the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup approaches, co-hosts West Indies have made significant strides in the ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings, following a 3-0 series victory over South Africa on home soil.
Despite the absence of several key players, the West Indies team managed to secure a clean sweep in the series.
With this series victory, the West Indies, champions of the 2012 and 2016 T20 World Cups, now sit in fourth place in the rankings. They trail behind India, the 2007 champions, Australia, the 2021 champions, and England, the defending champions, who occupy the first, second, and third spots respectively.
Key Players Boost Rankings Ahead of T20 World Cup
ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings
| Position | Teams | Rating Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | 264 |
| 2 | Australia | 257 |
| 3 | England | 254 |
| 4 | West Indies | 252 |
| 5 | New Zealand | 250 |
Several West Indies players made significant gains in the T20I Player Rankings during the series. Stand-in skipper Brandon King, for instance, rose five places to eighth position in the Men’s T20I Batting Rankings, thanks to his 159 runs.
Johnson Charles, King’s opening partner, also made a significant leap, moving up 17 spots to reach 20th place following his Player of the Match performance in the third game of the series.
Carlos Brathwaite shares the tale of a last-minute change in the 2016 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Final that led to one of the tournament’s most memorable moments.
Kyle Mayers and Gudakesh Motie also benefited from the series, moving to 31st place in the Batting Rankings and 27th place in the Bowling Rankings respectively.
These results are promising for the West Indies team, who are aiming for a record third title in their home T20 World Cup. They are grouped with Afghanistan, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Uganda in Group C.
Their campaign kicks off against Papua New Guinea in Guyana on 2 June.