Attaining the number 1 ranking in the ICC leaderboard is the dream of all the teams. However, only one team can be at the top at a time. The International Cricket Council prepares a different set of rankings for the Tests, ODIs and T20Is format. While teams have managed to stay in the Top 3 of different rankings at the same time, it is quite rare to see the same in the number one position.
Initially the teams only gave priority to the ODI and Test formats, but in the modern era, the T20I format has also become quite important. The teams have started to focus on the T20I format, which has led to ICC introducing a rankings for the same. Here’s a list of the only two teams to have attained the top ranking in Tests, ODIs and T20Is at the same time.
1. India has attained the number 1 ranking in Test, ODI and T20I right now
The Men in Blue have been quite dominant in all three formats of the game in the recent years. While India had managed to stay at the top of the rankings for two of the three formats, they have only managed to attain the top spot in all three formats for the first time in 2023 September month.
India already had the first position in the ICC Rankings for Tests and T20Is. They were not at the top of the ODI rankings, but after winning the Asia Cup and then defeating Australia in the first ODI yesterday, India became the top-ranked team.
2. South Africa
Teams to reach No.1 ICC Ranking in all formats at the same time
— CricBeat (@Cric_beat) September 22, 2023
Southafrica
India*#INDvAUS
The only cricket team to achieve this feat before India was South Africa. The Men in Green reached at the top of all three formats’ rankings during their prime.
Quite surprisingly, the fans should note that South Africa have never won ICC T20 World Cup, ICC ODI World Cup or ICC World Test Championship. However, they have this unique record of having the number 1 ranking in all three formats at the same time.
