Players to rank number 1 in all three formats of international cricket

India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah etched his name in record books as he became the first bowler in the history of the game to be ranked number one in all three formats. However, Bumrah is not the only player to achieve the feat as before him, there have been some other cricketers as well to take the top spot in their respective roles.

Ever since, the advent of T20Is in 2005, there has been widespread demand for players to be flexible and contribute in all three formats of the game. A few cricketers from across the world, have fulfilled this demand and became a match-winner for their side across formats. On that note, let’s take a look at the players to achieve number-one rankings in all three formats of the game:

1. Ricky Ponting

The former Australia captain is the most successful men’s skipper in the history of the game with four ICC titles to his name. Apart from his shrewd leadership, Ponting was also a nightmare with the bat for the opposition as he ranks in the top five highest run scorers in both ODIs and Tests.

Notably, Ponting is the first player to rank number one in all three formats at the same time as he achieved the feat in December 2005 after he scored a sensational 98* (55) in the first-ever T20I between Australia and New Zealand. Apart from that, he had 1191 runs in ODIs and 1544 runs in Tests in the year respectively which helped him top the rankings in those two formats as well.

2. Matthew Hayden

Hayden is ranked among the most explosive opening batters in the world unleashing his wrath with the bat on the opposition time and again. The southpaw has 30 Test centuries to his name along with ten ODI hundreds. Apart from that, in his short T20I career, Hayden has good numbers with 308 runs to his name from nine innings at an average of 51.33 with four half-centuries.

The Queensland-born batter is also one of the few players to rank number one in all three formats of the game although not at the same time. The southpaw was also the leading run-scorer of both the ODI World Cup and T20 World Cup in 2007 with 659 runs and 265 runs to his name respectively.

3. Shakib al Hasan

The Bangladesh ODI captain is one of the greatest cricketers to emerge from his nation having several accolades to his name. Shakib is the leading run scorer for his side in T20is with 2382 runs from 116 innings. The left-arm spinner is also the leading wicket-taker for Bangladesh in all three formats having 233 wickets in Tests, 317 wickets in ODIs and 140 scalps in T20Is.

He further has the third most runs for his nation in both ODIs (7570) and Tests (4454) stamping his authority as a true all-rounder. Notably, the southpaw is the second player to rank number one in all three formats at the same time as he took the top spot in the all-rounder rankings across formats in June 2015.

4. Virat Kohli

The Indian batting star is arguably the greatest batter across all three formats having incredible numbers to his name. Kohli topped the ODI rankings for the first time in his career in 2013 after a breakthrough year in 2012 when he was awarded ODI cricketer of the year having scored 1026 in the year.

He further reached the summit of the T20I batting rankings in 2014 as he was adjudged Player of the Tournament in back-to-back editions of the T20 World Cup in 2014 and 2016. Kohli also topped the Test batting rankings in August 2018 courtesy of his stellar performances in South Africa and England.

5. Jasprit Bumrah

Ever since his debut in international cricket in 2016, the world took notice of the searing yorkers bowled through an unusual action by Jasprit Bumrah. Within three years of his international career, the Indian speedster was touted as the greatest bowler across all three formats in the modern era.

The 30-year-old has earlier sat on top of the ODI and T20I rankings and now finds himself on the top of the Test bowling rankings as well. Notably, Bumrah registered his second-best match figures (9/91) in the recently concluded second Test against England which pushed him to the top of the bowling charts.