CRICKET
5 players to achieve number one rankings in world cricket across formats
Being at the top of the ranking in cricket is a phenomenal achievement. Not many players in the world have been able to do it in the past. The fact that one must be able to perform consistently for a team to be at the top shows what it takes for a player to be at the highest ranking in the sport. It is never easy for a player to be at the top for a long time. Even to reach there is an amazing feat.
In particular, the players who have been at the top for a long time need to be appreciated for their consistency. While it is indeed a great feat to be at the top of the world ranking, it is very difficult for a player to achieve the highest ranking in cricket in three different formats. It needs incredible versatility and adaptability. Only a handful number of cricketers have been able to be at the top of the rankings across all the formats.
There are exactly five players who have reached the number-one ranking in all the formats of the game. Two of them are from India and two of them are from Australia. The other one is from Bangladesh. It makes their feat incredible considering that only five of them have been able to achieve it. Three of them are batters, only one of them is a bowler, and the other one is an all-rounder.
Here are the five cricketers who have been at the top of the world rankings in all formats:
Also check: Top 5 iconic Test matches between India and England on Indian soil
5. Matthew Hayden
Five players to achieve number one rankings in world cricket across formats (Source: X)
Matthew Hayden was one of the earliest players who adapted to all the formats of the game. In the 2000s, Hayden was easily the best opener across formats. In his prime, Southpaw was able to achieve the number-one ranking across formats. In the mid-2000s, Hayden was in insane form in the shorter formats. By 2007, Hayden established himself as an All-format great by becoming the number one ranked T20I batter after his heroics in the T20 World Cup 2007.
4. Shakib Al Hasan
Five players to achieve number one rankings in world cricket across formats (Source: X)
Shakib Al Hasan is the only All-rounder to feature in the list. For an All-rounder to be on the list is an astonishing feat. A player must be at the top of their rank with both the bat and the ball in all three formats. For him to be able to achieve the feat is insane. No All-rounder has been even close to becoming the next after Shakib to achieve the feat. It tells how good he has been for Bangladesh over the years with not much support from the other end for most of his career.
3. Virat Kohli
Five players to achieve number one rankings in world cricket across formats (Source: X)
Virat Kohli is one of those batters to have remained at the top of the rankings across all the formats for a long time. The star batter from India defined cricket after the retirement of Sachin Tendulkar. His performances in bilateral series and the major tournaments have helped him to be at the top of world cricket. In his prime in the late 2010s, Virat was at the top of the rankings in all the formats at one stage. Not many batters have dominated all formats in cricket like the Indian batter.
2. Ricky Ponting
Five players to achieve number one rankings in world cricket across formats (Source: X)
Ricky Ponting was the first ever cricketer to achieve the feat, When T20Is were pretty new, Ponting adapted to it and became the first ever cricketer to be ranked first across formats. Before he could do it, the star batter was insane in the longer formats like Tests and ODIs where he dominated the bowlers. In the early 2000s, Ponting was synonymous with ‘Run machine’. He played a key role in Australia’s World Cup-winning campaigns in 2003 and 2007, both as a batter and as a captain.
1. Jasprit Bumrah
Five players to achieve number one rankings in world cricket across formats (Source: X)
Jasprit Bumrah is the latest entrant to the list. The Indian pacer was ranked third in Test rankings before the Vizag Test. After his sensational performance in the 2nd Test against England, he became the first and only pacer to date to be ranked 1st in world rankings across formats at one point in time. Bumrah was ranked first in the limited overs formats long back in the 2010s. However, it is the first instance of him being ranked first in Test cricket. Considering the fitness of the star bowler, his achievement is insane.