
Prateek Thakur
abplive|20-09-2026
India have slipped from the top of the T20I rankings despite completing a 3-0 series victory over Afghanistan, with England reclaiming first place after sweeping Sri Lanka.
Both India and England currently have a rating of 269, but England have moved ahead because their ranking is calculated across fewer matches.
India have accumulated 17,201 points from 64 T20Is, while England have 11,021 points from only 41 matches, allowing them to move above the reigning world champions.
This is the second time England have reached the T20I summit in 2026.
They previously overtook India after completing a 4-0 series victory earlier this year.India’s latest ranking drop comes despite Shreyas Iyer’s side completing a 3-0 series sweep against Afghanistan, following another unbeaten series against Zimbabwe recently.
The two teams also met in the 2026 T20 World Cup semi-final at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, where Suryakumar Yadav’s India produced a memorable victory.
India subsequently went on to win the tournament and successfully defend their T20 World Cup title, while England have continued building momentum under Harry Brook.
England have won 23 of their 26 T20Is since Brook took over as white-ball captain, underlining their impressive record during his leadership across the shortest format.
India, meanwhile, endured a difficult start to Iyer’s captaincy after he replaced Suryakumar, losing their opening series against Ireland before suffering another heavy defeat against England.
India lost the Ireland series 0-2 before England completed a 4-0 victory in their five-match T20I contest, leaving Iyer under pressure early during his tenure.
The Men in Blue responded with consecutive 3-0 series victories against Zimbabwe and Afghanistan, giving them renewed momentum before their Asian Games campaign.
India will now look to defend the gold medal they won at the previous Asian Games, while England have strengthened their position at the T20I summit.
England completed their 3-0 series victory over Sri Lanka with an eight-wicket win in the third T20I, with Brook also collecting the Player of Series award.
The England captain had already produced a century in the opening match and again played a key role as his team completed another convincing series victory.
Reflecting on England’s performance, Brook said the team’s ability to adapt to different conditions had been central to their success throughout the three-match series.
“It all comes down to adapting to conditions, really. We want to be a side where when the conditions aren't in our favour, we're still able to manufacture a win.”
Brook also highlighted the contributions from players who have not featured regularly, pointing to the depth within England’s current T20I squad.
“Everybody stepped up in this series, especially lads who haven't played as much. Sonny Baker, for example, bowling three overs in the powerplay in two games is an amazing achievement,” Brook said.
He also praised Liam Dawson and Jos Buttler, while stressing that England had dealt effectively with changing conditions across each game.
“Every game's been slightly different, and we're playing the conditions extremely well,” Brook added, as England returned to the top of the T20I rankings.




