Hardik Pandya Tops ICC T20I All-Rounder Rankings After Team India World Cup Win

Hardik Pandya reached a significant milestone in his career by becoming the world’s new No. 1 T20I all-rounder following India’s T20 World Cup victory. Hardik, who concluded the tournament with 144 runs and 11 wickets, became the first Indian all-rounder to achieve this ranking. His remarkable performance in the final against South Africa, where he took 3/20, played a crucial role in this achievement.

Hardik Pandya Tops The Charts After T20 World Cup Victory

In the final, Hardik took the wickets of David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen, moving up two places to surpass Wanindu Hasaranga. This accomplishment caps off a memorable campaign for Hardik, whose previous World Cup run in 2023 was cut short by injury. Before the T20 World Cup, Hardik faced a tough period as captain of the Mumbai Indians, with the team failing to reach the Playoffs and facing severe public criticism.

However, things turned around when he returned to the Indian team under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy. In the final, Hardik had Klaasen caught behind after the South African batter had scored a half-century and hit Axar Patel for 22 runs in an over, reducing the target to 30 runs off 30 balls. With Bumrah having bowled out, it was up to Hardik to save the game for India. He defended 16 runs in the last over, dismissing Miller with the first ball thanks to a stunning catch by Suryakumar Yadav, and held his nerve to complete the over without further damage. As India won the match, Hardik fell to the ground, overwhelmed with emotion.

Throughout the tournament, Hardik delivered crucial performances. Against Pakistan, he took 2/24, dismissing Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan, and 2/14 against the USA. With the bat, he scored an unbeaten half-century against Bangladesh and contributed 23 not out and 23 against Australia and England, respectively.

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