Hardik Pandya has made history by becoming the first Indian to be ranked No. 1 among T20I allrounders, according to the latest ICC rankings. Pandya climbed two spots to share the top position with Sri Lanka captain Wanindu Hasaranga, thanks to his stellar performances in India’s victorious T20 World Cup campaign, where the team remained unbeaten.
During the World Cup, Pandya amassed 144 runs at an average of 48 and a strike rate of 151, while also claiming 11 wickets at an average of 17.36. His contributions included a match-winning 3 for 20 in the final against South Africa, which India won by seven runs. Pandya’s standout batting performance came against Bangladesh, where he scored an unbeaten 50 off 27 balls.
Jasprit Bumrah, named Player of the Series in the T20 World Cup, also made significant strides in the bowlers’ rankings. Bumrah climbed 12 places to No. 12 after taking 15 wickets at an average of 8.26, with an economy rate of just 4.17. His crucial spell in the final, where South Africa needed only 30 runs from the last five overs, played a key role in turning the game in India’s favor.
Other Indian players also saw improvements in their rankings. Left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who took ten wickets at an average of 13.90 in the World Cup, moved up three positions to joint-eighth among bowlers. Seamer Arshdeep Singh, the joint-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 17 wickets, climbed four places to a career-best No. 13.
South African quick Anrich Nortje rose seven places to a career-high No. 2 among bowlers after being their leading wicket-taker in the World Cup, with 15 wickets at an average of 13.40 and an economy of 5.74.
Additionally, Marcus Stoinis, Sikandar Raza, Shakib Al Hasan, and Liam Livingstone each moved up one spot in the allrounder rankings, placing them at No. 3, 4, 5, and 8, respectively.
These rankings reflect the outstanding performances and contributions of these players during the World Cup, highlighting their significance in the T20I format.
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