He is also the first-ever Indian to reach the top spot in this category.
Following the emphatic win in the T20 World Cup 2024, an India star has now climbed to the apex spot in the latest ICC rankings for his heroics in the mega-event.
Premier India all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who was a key cog in the World Cup-winning side has now become the numero uno player in his category in the shortest format.
The dynamic right-hander rose two places to go level with Sri Lankan star Wanindu Hasaranga as the top-ranked men’s T20I all-rounder.
Interestingly, Pandya also becomes the first-ever Indian to reach the top spot in this category.
Hardik Pandya had a good tournament, delivering the goods both with the bat and the ball.
The 30-year-old managed to make impactful cameos down the order with the bat and made clinical breakthroughs with the ball when the team needed him to. He finished his T20 World Cup 2024 campaign with 144 runs while batting at a strike-rate of over 150 and also took 11 wickets.
The all-rounder made a big contribution in the high-octane final clash against South Africa with the crucial wickets of Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller.
Pandya’s most significant performance came in the final when he delivered the crucial wicket by dismissing Klaasen and turning the tide despite South Africa’s dominant position. Hardik then bowled the intense final over, successfully defending 16 runs to secure India’s T20 World Cup victory.
India’s star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who was named Player of the Tournament at the T20 World Cup 2024 for his 15 wickets jumped 12 spots in the rankings, placing him just outside the top ten at 12th—his highest ranking since the end of 2020.
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Additionally, Kuldeep Yadav also broke into the Top 10 in the bowlers’ rankings and currently occupies the ninth spot.
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