Saturday, December 7, 2024

Hardik Pandya Reclaims No. 1 T20I All-Rounder Spot in ICC Rankings – N.F Times


Mumbai: Hardik Pandya has regained the top spot as the premier T20I all-rounder in the latest ICC rankings. Concurrently, the emerging star Tilak Varma has impressively broken into the top 10 batters, bolstering Indiaā€™s standing in the rankings.

Pandya overtook Englandā€™s Liam Livingstone and Nepalā€™s Dipendra Singh Airee to reclaim the leading position. His remarkable performance in Indiaā€™s four-match series against South Africa, where he excelled with both bat and ball, was pivotal in his ascent to the top. At the age of 31, Pandya continues to demonstrate his all-round prowess on the global stage.

Hardik Pandyaā€™s versatile talent was key to Indiaā€™s dominant 3-1 series victory over South Africa. His undefeated 39 runs in the second match steadied Indiaā€™s innings at a critical juncture, despite Indiaā€™s loss as South Africa successfully chased the target. His frugal bowling figures of 1/8 in three overs in the decisive fourth match secured the series win for India. This outstanding performance enabled Pandya to reclaim the number one position in the ICC Menā€™s T20I all-rounder rankings, marking the second occasion the Indian ace has achieved this feat, having first ascended to the top following the ICC Menā€™s T20 World Cup earlier in the year.

T20I all-rounder rankings

Rank Team Player Rating
1 India Hardik Pandya 244
2 Nepal Dipendra Singh Airee 231
3 England Liam Livingstone 230
4 Australia Marcus Stoinis 209
=4 Sri Lanka Wanindu Hasaranga 209
6 Afghanistan Mohammad Nabi 205
7 Zimbabwe Sikandar Raza 186
8 West Indies Romario Shepherd 175
9 South Africa Aiden Markram 168
10 Namibia Gerhard Erasmus 164

Another standout performer was Tilak Varma, who earned Player of the Series honours for his incredible run with the bat. Varma smashed two centuries and amassed 280 runs across the series, propelling him 69 spots up the rankings to third, just behind Australiaā€™s Travis Head, the top-ranked T20I batter and the 2nd-ranked Phil Salt. This surge also makes Varma Indiaā€™s highest-rated batter, with skipper Suryakumar Yadav slipping one place to fourth.

Sanju Samson also had an impressive series, scoring two centuries that boosted him 17 spots to 22nd in the T20I batting rankings. For South Africa, Tristan Stubbs climbed to 23rd after a consistent showing, while Heinrich Klaasen rose six spots to equal 59th.

The series not only showcased Indiaā€™s dominance but also presented individual brilliance, marking a promising future for the team.


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