No Hardik Pandya, No Sikandar Raza! This Pakistan Star Becomes No. 1 All-Rounder in the World

Pakistani all-rounder Saim Ayub has achieved a massive feat. The opening batter has dethroned Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza to become the world number one all-rounder in the latest ICC T20I rankings.

Saim Ayub achieved the feat after his heroics with the bat and ball in the recently concluded tri-series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. One of the best batsmen in the world, Salman Agha-led side beat the island nation in the final by six wickets to bag some important wins ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.

Saim Ayub earlier became the no 1 T20I all-rounder in October. However, it was only a brief stint as he was overtaken by Zimbabwe veteran Sikandar Raza. But his performance in the final of the tri-series saw him reclaim his spot at the top.

In the final of the tri-series, Saim Ayub played an innings of 36 and also picked one crucial wicket in the match. That saw him moving back up to the No.1 position. The all-rounder has a rating of 295 and would be eager to stay at the top of the charts.

Since the last few years, Saim Ayub has been one of the best batters for Pakistan in white-ball cricket. And his ability to chip in with the ball and pick wickets has made him a valuable asset in the Pakistan team.

In the five games in the tri-series, Saim Ayub slammed 118 runs. With the ball too, he was decent as he picked three wickets and helped his team win the series with his all-round effort.

Hardik Pandya Drops Down in the Ranking

Along with Saim Ayub, Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz moved three places to fourth for all-rounders. He was sensational with the bat and ball as he won the Player of the Tournament, scoring crucial runs and taking wickets at important junctures.

In terms of rankings for bowlers, Mohammad Nawaz moved up two spots to 11th. Along with him, one of the best spinners in the world, Abrar Ahmed (up four rungs to fourth), also made substantial gains in the ICC T20I rankings for bowlers following their heroics in the tri-series against Pakistan.

Coming to Hardik Pandya, the Indian all-rounder has lost rating points and is now seventh in the rankings. This came as he missed the entire five-match series against Australia due to the injury that he had suffered ahead of the final of the Asia Cup 2025.

Hardik Pandya recently made a comeback in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025. He is now expected to make a national comeback in the T20I series against South Africa, which will begin on December 9.