Sanju Samson jumps to career-best ICC ranking after T20 World Cup glory

Look at what a remarkable run of games can do to player's global standing. Not only has Sanju Samson thrust himself forward in international cricket with a memorable T20 World Cup campaign, but he has also scaled new heights in the ICC rankings.

Sanju shot up 18 places to reach 22 in the latest ICC Men's T20 Batting Rankings. With 637 points, the Keralam batting star finds himself at a career-best position. He leapfrogged a handful of T20 aces who have been placed higher in the past, including Pakistan's Babar Azam (ranked 37), Glenn Phillips of New Zealand (39), Josh Inglis of Australia (30) and Quinton de Kock of South Africa (28).

Sanju had his best phase in India colours in the recently concluded World Cup, which India retained with a convincing 96-run win over New Zealand in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Sanju scored a brilliant 89 in the final. He had scored another 89 in the semifinal against England and an unbeaten 97 against West Indies in a crucial Super Eights match.

Sanju finished on 321 runs from just five innings, the most by an Indian batter in the event and third overall, behind Pakistan's Sahibzada Farhan (383 runs from 6 innings) and Tim Seifert of New Zealand (326 from 8 innings).

Sanju, 31, made his T20I debut in 2015 but had never had a decent run, often dropped after a series or played out of position. He had struggled for runs in the pre-World Cup series against New Zealand, but hit form at the right time to finish the Player of the Tournament award, and now a career-best ranking.