Hardik Pandya becomes No.1 ranked T20I all-rounder in latest ICC rankings; first Indian to achieve the feat
Team India all-rounder Hardik Pandya's comeback story continues to grow by the day, as he became the No.1 ranked T20I all-rounder in the world in the latest ICC rankings. He also became the first Indian to be ranked No.1 in the T20I all-rounder rankings, drawing level with Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga on 222 points.
After a dismal IPL 2024 season as Mumbai Indians (MI) captain, Hardik was back to his best during the recently concluded 2024 T20 World Cup.
The 30-year-old finished the tournament with 144 runs at an average of 48 and a strike rate of 151.57 in eight outings. He was also sensational with the ball, picking up 11 wickets at an average of 17.36 and an economy of 7.64.
Hardik made his presence felt with bat and ball in India's semi-final and final wins over England and South Africa. He scored a quickfire 13-ball 23 against England to help push India's total to a massive 171/7 on a tacky Guyana pitch.
However, his bowling exploits in the finale drew massive praise from Indian fans and experts. With the game slipping away from Rohit Sharma's side, the champion all-rounder stepped up with two clutch overs, the 17th and 20th, to help them clinch the title.
Hardik removed the dangerous Heinrich Klaasen for 52 off 27 deliveries, with the Proteas needing only 26 off the final four overs. He then removed the other dangerman David Miller in the first ball of the final over, with India defending 16 off six balls.
Hardik finished with outstanding figures of 3/20 in 3 overs as India pulled off a seven-run win to clinch their second T20 World Cup title.
Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh the other beneficiaries in latest ICC rankings
Team India had other beneficiaries on the back of their 2024 T20 World Cup triumph with Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, and Arshdeep Singh climbing up the T20I bowler rankings.
While Bumrah's Player of the Tournament performance saw him jump 12 places up to No.12, Arshdeep rose to 13th with a rise of four spots. The duo combined to pick up 32 wickets in India's eight matches, with Arshdeep's 17 the highest in the tournament.
Meanwhile, Kuldeep broke into the top ten with a jump of three places after finishing with 10 wickets in five matches at the T20 World Cup. There weren't many more substantial changes with Adil Rashid and Travis Head maintaining their respective top spots in the T20I bowling and batting rankings.