Team India's star all-rounder Hardik Pandya has created history by becoming the first Indian player to be ranked No.1 T20I all-rounder in the latest ICC rankings. ICC updated the rankings on Wednesday.

Also Read: T2O World Cup winners list

Jumped two places to become No.1

Hardik played brilliantly in the T20 World Cup 2024 with both bat and ball. He has jumped two places in the latest ICC rankings. Earlier he was in third place. Hardik has become the number-1 all-rounder along with Wanindu Hasaranga of Sri Lanka. 

Played an important role in T20 World Cup 2024

In 8 matches of the T20 World Cup 2024, the 30-year-old scored 144 runs at a strike rate of more than 150 and also took 11 wickets. During this period his economy was 7.64. With this brilliant performance, Hardik has become the first Indian to become the number-1 T20I all-rounder. Before him, no all-rounder from Team India could achieve this feat.

Hardik played an important role in making Team India the world champion by taking important wickets of Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller in the final match against South Africa. Hardik had bowled the last over of the final, in which he gave only 8 runs while defending 16 runs due to which Team India defeated South Africa by 7 runs and lifted the T20 World Cup trophy after 17 years.

After a tumultuous IPL campaign where he was booed relentlessly when he replaced Rohit Sharma as the captain of the Mumbai Indians franchise, the performances in the T20 World Cup have turned the tide back again in Pandya’s favor.

Bumrah came to 12th position

Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav have also benefited in the recent ICC rankings. Bumrah, who was the Player of the Tournament of T20 World Cup 2024, has come to 12th position in the list of bowlers. This is his highest ranking since 2020. 

Also Read: Most wickets in every T20 World Cup edition

Kuldiya Yadav has reached number 8 with a jump of 3 places. Kuldeep has 654 rating points. Adam Zampa also remains at number eight with the same rating points. Anrich Nortje of South Africa has reached second position with a jump of 7 places. Adil Rashid remains at the top.

Mohammed Siraj has been named the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for August 2025, following his match-winning performance in the final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at The Oval. The right-armer, who bowled 46 overs in the Test, was also named Player of the Match for his efforts. Siraj beat competition from New Zealand pacer Matt Henry and West Indies quick Jayden Seales to clinch the monthly honour.

Let's have a look at all the Indian men's cricketers who won ICC Player of the Month award. Some have won the award more than once.

Also Read: Asia Cup Winners List from 1984 to 2023

 ICC Player of the Month Award Winners

9. Mohammed Siraj

Mohammed Siraj won the ICC Player of the Month award in August 2025. It is worth noting that Siraj’s exceptional performance in India’s tour of England and his brilliance in the clash held at The Oval were among the biggest reasons why Siraj won award. Siraj took three wickets on the final day of the last test of the series against England, which helped the Indian team register a brilliant win. 

Siraj produced a stunning nine-wicket haul across both innings to help India level the five-Test series 2-2. His second-innings burst included a decisive five-wicket haul that dismantled England’s batting order and sealed victory for the visitors.

8. Yashasvi Jaiswal

Yashasvi Jaiswal bagged the ICC Player of the Month Award for his sensational performance in the Test series against England in March 2024. Jaiswal beat New Zealand's Kane Williamson and Sri Lanka's Pathum Nissanka for the award.

Jaiswal was also named the player of the series in England's 5-Test tour against India. The batter scored 712 runs in 5 Test matches, surpassing Virat Kohli's tally of most runs in a single Test series vs England. Jaiswal also became only the second India batter after Sunil Gavaskar to hit 700+ runs in a series.

7. Virat Kohli

Star batter Virat Kohli was named the ICC Player of the Month for October 2022 following a series of stellar performances during India's charge to the T20 World Cup semifinals in Australia. He scored 205 runs with the bat. Apart from scoring a brilliant half-century against Netherlands in Sydney, he produced an unforgettable innings in the stunning victory over Pakistan in front of a capacity crowd at the MCG to kick off their campaign in style.

At 31 for four, Kohli asserted his dominance on the opposition bowlers in a memorable display of controlled aggression, helping his side to chase down the 160 targets on the final ball, thanks to his unbeaten 82 from 53 balls.

6. Bhuvneshwar Kumar

India seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar won the ICC Player of the Month award in March 2021 for his superlative show in the limited overs series against England. Bhuvi took six wickets at an economy rate of 4.65 in the three ODIs, while capturing four wickets at a fantastic economy rate of 6.38 in the five T20Is to emerge as the standout bowler on either side in the white ball series. 

Bhuvneshwar became the third successive Indian recipient of the award since its inception early this year. 

5. Ravichandran Ashwin 

Ravichandran Ashwin has won the ICC Men's Player of the Month award for February 2021 after his all-round display in the Test series against England. Ashwin not only finished as the top wicket-taker in the 3-1 series win against England, but also scored his seventh Test century. 

Ashwin scored 176 runs in the three matches in February and took 24 wickets in the month. He also became the second-fastest bowler in history to 400 Test wickets, behind only Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan.

Also Read: ICC tournaments hosted by India – History & Highlights

4. Rishabh Pant

The Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has won the inaugural ICC Player of the Month award 2021. Pant has been honoured for his superlative performances in the two Tests against Australia in January 2021, wherein he scored a 97 at Sydney and an unbeaten 89 at Brisbane.

Pant was chosen ahead of England captain Joe Root and Ireland's Paul Stirling in the voting to bag the award. Pant's innings helped India to become the first team in 32 years to beat Australia at the Gabba in Test cricket. 

3. Shreyas Iyer | 2 Times

Shreyas Iyer was named as ICC Men's Player of the Month twice in February 2022 and March 2025 for his performance during India's triumphant Champions Trophy 2025.

With 172 runs coming at an average of 57.33 during the final three games of the Champions Trophy, Iyer was a leading light for India as they secured a landmark third win in the competition’s history. He ended the tournament as the second-highest scorer with 243 runs at an average of 48.60.

2. Jasprit Bumrah | 2 Times

Jasprit Bumrah was crowned as the winner of the ICC Player of the Month Award for two times in December and June 2024. Bumrah won the prize twice in the calendar year. Bumrah's incredible display in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) was rewarded by the ICC in December 2024. Previously he won the top honour in June 2024 following his heroic display in the T20 World Cup 2024.

1. Shubman Gill | 4 Times

Indian Test team captain Shubman Gill was named ICC Player of the Month four times - in January 2023, September 2023, February 2025, and July 2025. He is also the first male player to win the award four times. Gill was also named in the ICC Men's ODI Team of the Year in 2023.

His latest win came after an amazing performance in Test matches against England in July 2025, where he showed outstanding batting skills as India's newly appointed Test captain. 

Gill finished as the leading run scorer of the series, having scored 754 runs from ten innings at an average of 75.4 with four hundreds to his name. He started the series with a magnificent 147 at Headingley, Leeds and further accumulated 430 runs (269, 161) in the second Test at Edgbaston in Birmingham, the second-highest match aggregate in the format.

The mega clash between India and Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 group stage will be played on 14 September. Looking at the tournament record, both teams have played 18 matches against each other. Out of these, India have won 10 while Pakistan have claimed 6 games. However, in the last 10 years, the rivalry has become one-sided, where Pakistan managed to win only once in seven showdowns.

So, before the much awaited clash begin, let's have a look at the bowlers with most wickets in India vs Pakistan matches in Asia Cup in both ODI and T20I formats.

Also Read: Most Runs in India vs Pakistan Matches in Asia Cup (ODI+T20I)

Most Wickets in India vs Pakistan Matches (ODI+T20I)

5. Anil Kumble | 7 Wickets

The former legendary indian leg-spinner, Anil Kumble was a master of his craft. He had a great record against Pakistan in the Asia Cup matches, taking wickets with his guile and accuracy. In 4 matches against Pakistan in Asia Cup, Kumble scalped 7 wickets at an economy rate of 4.32 and best figure of 3/43. 

4. Saeed Ajmal | 8 Wickets

Saeed Ajmal was one of the key spinners of Pakistan in the Asia Cup. Batters would struggle to score in front of him. Meanwhile, against India, Ajmal has taken 8 wickets in 4 matches at an average of 24.00 with a brilliant economy rate of 4.92.

In addition, Ajmal also played a key role in Pakistan’s win in 2012. He was one of the most reliable players on the team during the crucial matches.

3. Hardik Pandya | 8 Wickets

India’s all-rounder Hardik Pandya has balanced his batting fireworks with key bowling contributions. His 8 wickets against Pakistan in only 6 games highlight his knack for breakthroughs, often dismissing set batsmen or breaking partnerships with clever use of short balls and cutters.

Pandya’s bowling has been particularly valuable when India experimented with team balance, allowing them to play an extra batsman while still retaining bowling depth. His dual role makes him one of the most influential Asia Cup performers of recent times.

2. Kuldeep Yadav | 8 Wickets

Indian spinners have always played an integral part in the success of the Men in Blue, and Kuldeep Yadav has added to the tradition with his performances in recent years. He possesses the X-factor with his chinaman bowling and has been the tormentor-in-chief in the recent outing against Pakistan.

The 30-year-old has not played any T20I for India against Pakistan in the Asia Cup so far, but he has been part of an Asia Cup match against Pakistan in the ODI format, where he took a total of 8 wickets in 4 matches. Kuldeep possesses mystery in his bowling, and the Pakistan batters have always struggled to read his variations.

Also Read: Past results of India vs Pakistan in Asia Cup

1. Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 10 Wickets

Indian pace spearhead Bhuvneshwar Kumar is India's top wicket-taker against Pakistan in Asia Cup. He has taken 10 wickets in 5 matches. He ran through Pakistan's batting line-up in the Asia Cup 2022 match at the Dubai International Stadium. He registered figures worth 4/26(4) as the Pakistani innings folded on 147. 

Bhuvi has also become the first-ever bowler to take four or more wickets against Pakistan in T20 Internationals. He bowled 13 dot balls in the match. However, he is not part of the current T20I squad. 

The ICC Women's World Cup 2025 is scheduled to be hosted by India in September-October. This will be the 13th edition of the tournament. India has reached the final of the Women's ODI Cricket World Cup twice, but has never won it.

Australia Women’s Team lift the previous edition of the ICC World Cup at the Christchurch Cricket Stadium in New Zealand. They defeated the England team with 71 runs.

Let's have a look at the ICC Women's World Cup past winners and most successful teams.

Also Read: Indian Cricket Team's upcoming schedule (men and women)

ICC Women's World Cup | First Edition Winner

The women's cricket World Cup was held 2 years before the first men's World Cup. In 1973, the tournament was first hosted with 7 teams participating in the tournament. The tournament was hosted by England. England became the champion by defeating Australia in the 60-over tournament.

India was not a part of it. The Indian women's cricket team made its debut in the Women's Cricket World Cup in 1978, which was hosted by India.

England scored a mammoth total of 279/3 in 60 overs with Enid Bakewell scoring 118 and captain Rachael Heyhoe Flint contributing 64. Australia struggled to chase the target and scored 187/9. Bakewell became the highest run scorer in the tournament. She scored 264 runs. Rosalind Heggs of England took the most wickets with 12.

Read Also: ICC tournaments hosted by India – History & Highlights

2022 Women's World Cup Winner

Australia beat England by 71 runs to lift the ICC Women's World Cup 2022 trophy. This is the seventh World Cup title for the Australian women.

The Meg Lanning-led side had put up 356 runs on the scoreboard for the loss of 5 wickets while batting first and managed to get England all out for 285 runs despite Natalie Sciver's brave attempts to keep her side still in the game.

ICC Women's World Cup | Most Successful Teams

Australia is the most successful women's cricket team with seven titles. Australia has dominated women’s cricket like no other team, winning the most ICC trophies in history. With a staggering 7 titles in the Women’s ODI World Cup, the Australian Women’s team has set the benchmark for excellence on the global stage. 

Their closest competitor, England, has managed to secure four World Cups, a distant second that underscores Australia’s dominance.

• Australia (7 times): 1978, 1982, 1989, 1998, 2005, 2013, 2022
• England (4 times): 1973, 1993, 2009, 2017
• New Zealand (1 time): 2000

Also Read: Indian batters to score an international ton in all formats: Smriti Mandhana joins an elite list

ICC Women's World Cup | Past Winners

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday announced that the upcoming ICC Women's World Cup 2025 will feature the biggest ever prize money for the winning team. 

This time the champion team will get 4.48 million US dollars (about Rs 39.55 crores), which is almost four times more than the prize money of the previous edition (1.32 million dollars or Rs 11.65 crores).

Also Read: ICC Women’s World Cup 2025: Indian squad announced, Shefali Verma not in the team

Prize money increases more than the 2023 Men’s World Cup

Women's World Cup 2025, to be held from September 30 to November 2 under the hosting of India and Sri Lanka, will be played between a total of eight teams.

The total prize money of this tournament will be US $ 13.88 million (about Rs 122.5 crore), which is almost three times more than the last World Cup held in New Zealand in 2022 (3.5 million dollars i.e. Rs 31 crore).

Moreover, this prize money is more than the Men's World Cup 2023 ($10 million i.e. Rs 88.26 crore).

'strategy to focus on the growth of the women’s game.'

The winning team of the men's ODI World Cup in 2023, Australia, received Rs 33.31 crore. Whereas, the runner-up India received Rs 16.65 crore. The winning amount of the Women's ODI World Cup is much more than this.

According to the ICC, the purpose of this increase is to increase the popularity of women's cricket and to give it equal respect as men's cricket.

“Strategy to focus on the growth of the women’s game.” ICC said in its statement on Sunday.

Also Read: ICC Women’s World Cup 2025: Chinnaswamy Stadium loses hosting rights due to “unforeseen circumstances” after RCB stampede case

Women cricketers must know they will be treated on par with men: Jay Shah

In another boost for women's cricket, there will be a huge increase in prize money for the @ICC Women’s @CricketWorldCup 2025. Overall prize money totals USD $13.88M, a 297% increase from the last edition and more than the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 (USD $10M). #CWC25 pic.twitter.com/rXtIhFEax5

— Jay Shah (@JayShah) September 1, 2025

ICC president Jay Shah said that the increased prize money shows that the global body will treat women players as equals to men’s cricketers. 

“This announcement marks a defining milestone in the journey of women’s cricket. This four-fold increase in prize money is a landmark moment for women’s cricket and reflects our clear commitment to its long-term growth," Shah said. 

“Our message is simple, women cricketers must know they will be treated on par with men if they choose this sport professionally."

“The uplift underscores our ambition to deliver a world-class ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup and to inspire the next generation of players and fans. Women’s cricket is on a remarkable upward trajectory, and with this step we are confident the momentum will accelerate. We call upon all stakeholders, fans, media, partners, and Member Boards, to join us in championing the women’s game and ensuring it receives the recognition and respect it deserves.” Jay Shah further added.

Cricket today is almost entirely a batsman's game. Flat pitches, small boundaries and bigger bats have tilted the game heavily in favor of the batsmen. The bowlers have got nowhere to hide and, the advent of T20s, where the batsmen go after them from the first ball itself have made it even more difficult.

The T20 format has brought about a revolution where the bowlers are more than grateful to keep the run rate down, rather than to take wickets. India made a wonderful foray into the shortest format of the game, winning the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007. Over the years India is blessed to have got some big hitters in their line up who are capable of clearing any boundary in the world.

In this article we will take a look at those batters with most sixes for India in T20Is.

Most Sixes for India in T20Is

5. Hardik Pandya | 95

Hardik Pandya debuted in T20I cricket in 2016 and swiftly established himself as a key member of India's preferred playing eleven, serving as a seam-bowling all-rounder. His T20I career reached its peak in 2024, marked by outstanding all-round performances during the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, helping India clinch the title. In terms of batting, Pandya has struck 95 sixes across 90 T20I innings.

Pandya has been included in the Men in Blue's 15-member squad for this year's Asia Cup. If Pandya manages to hit five more maximums in the Asia Cup, then he will go on to surpass KL Rahul's tally of 99 sixes in the shortest format. This will see the all-rounder become the Indian player with the fourth-most sixes in T20Is.

Also Read: Highest Wicket Taker in Asia Cup History (ODI + T20)

4. KL Rahul | 99

KL Rahul, who was once a consistent member of the T20I squad now finds himself out of favour in the T20I setup. Between 2016 and 2022, he played in 72 T20I matches and mostly batted in the top three.

He hit 99 sixes in 68 T20I innings. Following the T20 World Cup 2022, he was excluded from the shortest format due to his outdated approach to T20 cricket, as he did not improve his intent and strike rate.

3. Virat Kohli | 124

The Run Machine Virat Kohli has hit 124 sixes in 117 T20I innings for India. He is one of the most consistent players in the Indian team, with an average of 48.69. He made his T20I debut for India in 2010 and since then he has been a cornerstone of India's batting. Kohli also recorded 4,188 runs in T20I format, which included 38 fifties. 

“King Kohli” was part of the Indian team that won the T20 World Cup in June 2024. After winning the trophy, Kohli announced his retirement from the format. 

2. Suryakumar Yadav | 146*

Yet another batsman who has made six-hitting look extremely easy is India's T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav. Despite making his T20I debut in March 2021 with a match against England, the elegant middle-order batter has already launched 146 maximums in just 79 innings for Team India.

Having the ability to hit sixes at all parts of the ground with relative ease makes Yadav, a.k.a SKY, draw a comparison with South Africa’s great AB De Villiers who was called Mr. 360 in cricket. His centuries have also come against big teams like England, South Africa, and New Zealand apart from Sri Lanka. He has hit the most number of T20I sixes against West Indies (35).  

1. Rohit Sharma | 205

Former Indian T20I captain Rohit Sharma hit the most sixes for India in T20Is, having hit 205 sixes in 159 games he played. He made his debut for India in the 2007 T20 World Cup against South Africa. However, he failed to cement his place in the team. The turnaround came in the 2013 Champions Trophy when MS Dhoni promoted him up the order to open the batting with Shikhar Dhawan.

Also Read: Most matches by an Indian in international cricket

The mighty Australians have been Rohit's favourite opponent in this format against whom he has hit 29 sixes in 23 matches with Bangladesh being the second, conceding 22 sixes off his willow. Fondly called the “Hitman”, Rohit Sharma hung up his boots from T20Is after delivering the 2024 T20 World Cup title for India.