Hardik Pandya reclaims No.1 spot in ICC T20I rankings for all-rounders after South Africa series
Team India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has dethroned England's Liam Livingstone to be crowned the No.1 ranked T20I all-rounder in the latest update of the ICC rankings. The 31-year-old had a relatively solid set of performances in the Men in Blue's 3-1 triumph over South Africa recently.
He had held the top spot after his prolific 2024 T20 World Cup campaign, but was overtaken by the likes of Dipendra Singh Airee and Liam Livingstone over the last few months. However, a brilliant home series against Bangladesh followed by the South Africa tour has led to his rating increase to 244, giving him a 13-point lead at the top of the pile.
Pandya scored a puzzling unbeaten 39 off 45 deliveries during the second T20I in Gqeberha, to rescue India from a tricky situation in the first innings. He also recorded impeccable figures of 3-1-8-1 in the series finale at the Wanderers in Johannesburg.
The all-rounder holds a huge role in the new-look Indian T20I side, and his presence during the road to the 2026 T20 World Cup is essential for a wide variety of reasons.
Tilak Varma and Sanju Samson also enjoy a rise in rankings like Hardik Pandya
The two biggest benefactors from India's tour of South Africa were arguably the pair of Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma. The duo recorded two centuries each over the course of the series, and were involved in a mammoth partnership in the final T20I to script history. They have sent a massive statement to the management, and the impact of their performances are reflected through the rise in their rankings.
Tilak Varma, who now holds the record for most runs in a bilateral T20I series for India, skyrockets to the third position in the rankings (behind Travis Head and Phil Salt) after being placed in the 72nd spot earlier. As a result, he is also the highest-ranked batter from India as Suryakumar Yadav slumps to the fourth spot after a rare bleak series.
As far as Samson is concerned, he began the series with a ton, continuing things from where he left off in the home series against Bangladesh. However, his scoring took a dip after he registered consecutive ducks midway through the series. He made amends by scoring his third T20I hundred in five matches, and this has resulted in a 17-place jump in the rankings to hold the 22nd spot.