Days after going unsold in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 Auction, England star Phil Salt has jumped to the second spot in the ICC T20I batting rankings. Salt, an England opener, saw a significant rise in rankings following his impressive performances in the West Indies vs England T20I series.

His scores of 119 and 38 in Trinidad propelled him up 18 places, reaching a career-high rating of 802, which places him 15 rating points ahead of Mohammad Rizwan from Pakistan, who sits in third place according to the ICC rankings. However, despite Salt’s climb, there’s still a substantial gap between him and Suryakumar Yadav, who holds the top position comfortably with a rating of 887.

Another English player, Liam Livingstone, also made notable advancements in the rankings. His innings of 54* and 28 in the same matches boosted him by 27 places, landing him at 38th in the batting rankings. Moreover, Livingstone’s contributions impacted the all-rounder category, as he ascended four spots to reach the eighth position with a rating of 175.

This move placed him alongside compatriots Moeen Ali and Shadab Khan from Pakistan, who now share an equal ninth position with a rating of 173. West Indies claimed the five-match T20I series 3-2, claiming victory in the final match, largely on the back of their bowling, keeping England to just 132 before completing a chase in the final over six wickets down.

Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein took 2/20 from four overs in the victory, and moved two spots up to fourth (683), overtaking the Sri Lankan pair of Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana (679 and 677 respectively). Gudakesh Motie jumped 75 spots after claiming 3/24 (4) in the same outing, while Reece Topley on the England side has moved into the top 10 bowlers with a 13-spot jump thanks to five wickets across the two matches across the week.

Meanwhile, the ODI series between New Zealand and Bangladesh, as well as India’s trip to South Africa, has led to several minor shuffles. Shoriful Islam’s fine performance with the ball in hand saw him climb 24 spots to 35th, while young India left-armer Arshdeep Singh moved up 41 spots, though still outside the top 100.