Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya gain big in ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings after series victory over New Zealand

Opener Shubman Gill and fast-bowling all-rounder Hardik Pandya have gained big in the latest ICC Men’s T20I player rankings after India registered 2-1 series win over New Zealand at home last week.

Gill’s 126 not out off 63 balls in the series decider at Ahmedabad that contributed to India’s huge 168-run victory and helped seal the series 2-1, lifted him by an incredible 168 places in the rankings to be at 30th position. Gill, who has now slammed centuries in all three formats of the game, is ranked sixth in ODIs and 62nd in Tests.

Pandya, who grabbed 4/16 and smashed a 17-ball 30 in the Ahmedabad T20I, has progressed in all three lists. He has moved up from 53rd to 50th among batters, 66th to 46th among bowlers and is in second place among all-rounders, only a couple of rating points behind Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hassan.

Left-arm fast bowler Arshdeep Singh, Gill’s team-mate in the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup-winning squad of 2018, is another Indian player to move up the rankings, gaining eight slots to reach a career-best 13th position after finishing with 2/16 in Ahmedabad.

Daryl Mitchell, who top-scored for New Zealand with 35 in their total of 66 at Ahmedabad, has gained four spots and is at joint-25th position. In Men’s ODI rankings, England captain Jos Buttler’s match-winning 131 in Kimberley has helped him progress six places to 20th position. South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen is up 11 places to 42nd among batters.

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.