3 Cricketers To Achieve No. 1 Spot In ICC Rankings In all Three Formats

Over the years, there have been several cricketers who went on to become the legends of the game. Looking at their stats and numbers it won’t be a difficult task to rank these players based on their performances and their abilities to turn the match around with their match-winning performance. Although there were many players who are now known as cricketing greats, only a few cricketers have achieved the number one spot in ICC rankings in every format including Tests, ODIs and T20Is.

The ICC (International Cricket Council) rank the players in different formats regularly based on their performance at the period. Some players achieve the number one ranking in Tests while some in ODIs and T20Is. However, only three cricketers have been able to achieve the number one ranking in all three formats of the game. Let’s have a look at the list of players who are in the elite list of players to achieve the number one ranking in every format.

Here is the list of players to achieve No.1 ICC ranking in every formats

Ricky Ponting

Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting is considered as a legend of the game and is the fourth highest run getter of all-time across formats with 27483 runs from 560 matches in his career. With over 13000 runs in Tests and ODIs each, Ponting also excelled in just 17 T20I matches he played amassing 401 runs. Ponting scored 98 runs in the first ever T20I match played between Australia and New Zealand in Auckland in February 2005 and achieved the number one ranking in the format. Although he couldn't remain at the top for long, Ponting still became the first player to achieve number ranking in each format.

Apart from that, Ricky Ponting has been crowned as number one batter in the ODI format for three consecutive years from 2005 to 2007, Ponting also achieved the number ranking in Tests for the first time in 2003.

Virat Kohli

Star cricketer Virat Kohli was first player from India to get the highest ICC ranking in every format of the game. Kohli had his best years as an international cricketer in the decade of 2010s. He first achieved the number one ranking in the ODI format in November 2013. After that, he went on to rule the 50-over format and remained as number 1 ODI batter in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 respectively.

Apart from the ODIs, Virat Kohli won player of the tournament in the 2014 T20 World Cup and the 2016 T20 World Cup respectively and also finished as number one batter in the shorter format in both the years. Talking about the Test format, Kohli was crowned as number one batter in the longest format in 2018 and 2019 respectively.

Jasprit Bumrah

Star Indian fast bowlers is considered as once in a generation player and has achieved several milestones in his nine-year international career so far. Bumrah has been a spearhead fast bowler for India over the years and known for his unplayable swinging deliveries. Making his international debut in January 2016, Bumrah achieved the number spot in ICC T20I bowlers’ ranking in January 2018 for a short period of time.

After the T20Is, Bumrah also became the nightmare for the batters in the ODI format and was crowned as number one ODI bowler by the ICC rankings in 2018 and 2019 respectively. Over the years, Bumrah also developed himself as a dangerous bowler in Tests. He was crowned as number 1 Test bowler by the ICC ranking in 2023 and 2024 respectively and is still holding the spot in the format as of 2025.

FAQs

Q. Who is the number 1 bowler in 3 formats?

A. Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah is the only bowler to be crowned as number one all three formats by the ICC rankings.

Q. When was Virat Kohli no. 1 in all formats?

A. Virat Kohli achieved the number one ranking in ODIs in 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, in T20Is in 2014 and 2016 and in Tests in 2018 and 2019.

Q. What is the rank of Bumrah in ICC?

A. Jasprit Bumrah is currently ranked first in ICC bowlers’ ranking in Test format.. Apart from that, he is at the 40th spot in the T20Is as of June 2025.

Q. Who has the longest reign as number 1 ODI batsman?

A. Former West Indies cricketer Sir Vivian Richards reigned as number one batter in ODI format for 1,748 which is the most by any batter in the 50-over format in ICC rankings.

Q. How many days did Virat Kohli stay as no. 1 ODI batsman?

A. Virat Kohli reigned as the number one batter in ODIs as per the ICC ranking for 1258 days.