Hardik Pandya Close to Becoming World No. 1 All-Rounder, Shubman Gill at Career-Best in T20I ICC Ranking

Team India all-rounder and T20I skipper Hardik Pandya is close to reaching the summit in the ICC T20I ranking for all-rounders. Pandya’s match-winning show in the third and final T20I against New Zealand earlier this month – he claimed 4/16 with the ball and smashed a 17-ball 30 – has taken him to within touching distance of Bangladesh’s Shakib al Hasan on the T20I ranking for all-rounders.

The Gujarat Titans skipper is now at 250 rating points, just a couple of points behind Shakib, who has 252. Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi, Wanindu Hasaranga of Sri Lanka and Namibian JJ Smit complete the top-five in the all-rounder’s list.

Pandya’s teammate Shubman Gill also made a massive jump in the T20I batter’s list. Gill, who scored his maiden T20I century – 126 not out in the third T20I vs NZ, has zoomed up a massive 168 positions in the ranking. Gill is now up to a career-best 30th position on the ICC T20I batters’ ranking after the third and final T20I in Ahmedabad.

Indian skipper Hardik Pandya had an impressive series with the ball against New Zealand _ #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/Kr70uesNtW — ICC (@ICC) February 2, 2023

Gill’s 126 not out off 63 balls that contributed to India’s huge 168-run victory and helped seal the series 2-1. Gill, who has now slammed centuries in all three formats of the game, is ranked sixth in ODIs and 62nd in Tests.

Left-arm fast bowler Arshdeep Singh, Gill’s teammate in the ICC U19 Men’s World Cup-winning squad of 2018, is another one to move up the rankings, gaining eight slots to reach a career-best 13th position after finishing with two for 16 in Ahmedabad.

Daryl Mitchell, who top-scored for New Zealand with 35 in their total of 66, has gained four spots and is in joint-25th position in the latest weekly update that considers performance in the Ahmedabad match for T20Is and the final match of the South Africa-England series for the ODI rankings.

England captain Jos Buttler’s match-winning 131 in Kimberley has helped him progress six places to 20th position while South Africa fast bowler Lungi Ngidi has advanced five places to reach 19th position after finishing with four for 62 in the high-scoring match.

Dawid Malan (up 31 places to 58th among batters) and fast bowler Jofra Archer (up 13 places to 22nd among bowlers) are other England players to move up in the ODI rankings. South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen is up 11 places to 42nd among batters.