THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
Dubai, July 3: Hardik Pandya has become the first Indian to reach the No. 1 position for T20I allrounders in the latest ICC rankings. He moved up two spots to share the top rank with Sri Lanka captain Wanindu Hasaranga, thanks to his impressive all-round performances in India’s undefeated T20 World Cup campaign, which culminated in them winning the trophy.
Pandya scored 144 runs at an average of 48 and a strike rate of 151, and took 11 wickets at an average of 17.36 during the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA.
His standout moment was a match-winning 3 for 20 in the final against South Africa, where India secured a seven-run victory to win the trophy.
Pandya’s top batting performance in the World Cup was a 50* off 27 balls against Bangladesh.
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Jasprit Bumrah, who was awarded Player of the Series at the T20 World Cup, saw a major rise in the bowlers’ rankings. He advanced 12 positions to No. 12 after taking 15 wickets at an average of 8.26 and an economy rate of just 4.17.
In the final, with South Africa needing 30 runs from the last five overs, it was Bumrah’s decisive spell that played a key role in India’s victory.
Left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who claimed ten wickets at an average of 13.90 during the World Cup, moved up three places to become joint-eighth in the bowlers’ rankings. Fast bowler Arshdeep Singh, who was the joint-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 17 wickets, rose four positions to reach a career-best No. 13 rank.
With 15 wickets at an average of 13.40 and an economy rate of 5.74 in the World Cup, Anrich Nortje became South Africa’s top wicket-taker and moved up seven places to a career-high No. 2 in the bowlers’ rankings.
Marcus Stoinis, Sikandar Raza, Shakib Al Hasan, and Liam Livingstone each climbed one spot to secure the No. 3, 4, 5, and 8 positions, respectively, in the allrounders’ rankings.