Star Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya created history on Wednesday (July 3) by becoming the first Indian cricketer to reach the No. 1 position in the ICC T20I all-rounder’s ranking. The 30-year-old cricketer reached the numero uno position after producing a superb show for India in the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2024, which India won by getting the better of South Africa by seven wickets in the final.
In the summit clash played at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, on Saturday (June 29), Hardik picked up three wickets for 20 runs in three overs to help India successfully defend the total of 176 runs and end the 17-year wait for the second T20 World Cup title. The Baroda-born cricketer finished the T20 World Cup 2024 with 144 runs and 11 wickets.
In the latest ICC rankings released on Wednesday, Hardik, who served as Rohit Sharma’s deputy in the T20 World Cup, jumped two places to take the No. 1 position. He has 222 rating points. Before Hardik, no other Indian cricketer has ever managed to reach the No. 1 position in the T20I all-rounder’s rankings.
- Batters: Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav
- Bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, Ravi Bishnoi
- All-rounders: Hardik Pandya
Hardik is overall the sixth Indian cricketer to reach the No. 1 position in the T20I rankings after Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravi Bishnoi. While Gambhir, Kohli, and Surya have topped the batters list in the past, Bumrah and Bishnoi are the only two Indian bowlers to reach the No. 1 position.