T20 cricket is on the rise at the moment. The format has beaten the other two versions to emerge as the most popular and entertaining format to the viewers. Indian batters stand at the top of the list when it comes to this format. The likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have dominated for a long time in the T20 version. A few have even reached the No.1 spot in the ICC ranking for batters. On that note, here, we take a look at three Indian cricketers who have become ICC’s No.1 T20 batsman till now.
1) Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli is one of the Indian cricketers who have become ICC’s No.1 T20 batsman till now. It is no surprise that Virat Kohli features on this list. Arguably the greatest T20 batter that the format has seen, Virat has been a master in this format.
The former India skipper achieved his highest rating of 897 back in 2014. Virat is currently the highest run-getter in the T20I format. Recently, he overtook Mahela Jayawardene to become the highest run-scorer in T20 World Cups. Virat has won two Player of the Tournament awards in the T20 World Cup. In the ongoing T20 World Cup, he is doing well and is set for another award.
2) Suryakumar Yadav
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Suryakumar Yadav is the new No.1 Men's T20I batter 👑
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Suryakumar Yadav is the latest Indian batter to claim this honour. SKY had to wait a long time to make his India debut. However, after he made his debut, it has been difficult to look past him as the best batter in the format.
While SKY makes runs easily, he also complements it with a terrific strike rate. Thus, his impact is brilliant in the format and whenever he does well, India more often than not wins the encounter. SKY’s best strengths are his game against spin and range against all types of bowling. India will need the player to stay in this form for a long time.
3) Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir was the first Indian cricketer to reach the No.1 ranking on ICC’s list of top batters. It was back in 2007 when most were new to the format that Gambhir achieved it. When he had got the 723 points to go top, Gambhir had overtaken the likes of Graeme Smith, Ricky Ponting and Chris Gayle.
The southpaw’s knock in the final of the 2007 T20 World Cup was a crucial one. That innings also played a part in him getting to the top position. Gambhir retired as one of the top T20 batters, having done well in the IPL, too. Since his retirement, India has struggled to find a left-handed opener who has performed consistently in T20Is for India.
