Explainer: How Virat Kohli defeated Ravindra Jadeja in the ICC T20 International All-Rounder Rankings final standings

Even though Ravindra Jadeja is a top all-round player in the ICC T20I all-rounder rankings, star Indian batsman Virat Kohli has surpassed him. After India emerged victorious in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, Virat Kohli and Jadeja declared their retirement from Twenty20 international cricket.

With their choice to exit the game in the shortest format possible, having won a World Cup trophy, they brought an illustrious career to an end. The all-rounder category saw an unexpected turn in the final ICC rankings.

In the most recent rankings, Ravindra Jadeja came in at 86th place, and Virat Kohli came in at 79th.

With 151 runs in the main event, including a game-winning knock in the final versus South Africa, the 35-year-old’s performance was remarkable.

“We have developed an all-rounder index that provides a useful guide to the world’s top all-rounders in One Day and Test cricket. The index can be obtained by multiplying the player’s bowling and batting points together and dividing the result by 1000. A player who scores 800 runs at bat and 0 bowls receives an index of zero, meaning he is not an all-round player. A player who scores 600 runs at bat and 200 bowls receives a rating of 120, and a player who scores 400 runs at bat and 400 bowls receives a rating of 160. A 300+ index is considered world-class. Although there are significantly more all-round players in ODIs and T20s than in Tests, the same players frequently rank well in both categories. It should be noted that this ranking does not include fielding, which is a crucial all-around ability. ICC states that there is currently no adequate method for statistically rating fielding skills.

Thanks to his efforts, Kohli moved up to the 40th spot among T20I batsmen. However, Kohli did not bowl a single delivery throughout the competition. In comparison, Jadeja had a rather quiet World Cup campaign, hitting only 35 runs and capturing just one wicket.

The ranking method for all-rounders takes into account both batting and bowling performances. Kohli’s superior batting statistics across his career, with 4,188 runs at an average of 48.69 and a strike rate of 137.04, played a big influence in his higher position. Jadeja’s career batting numbers are at 515 runs with an average of 21.45 and a strike rate of 127.16.

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While Jadeja’s bowling record is far more remarkable, with 54 wickets in 71 innings at an average of 29.85 and an economy rate of 7.13, Kohli’s limited bowling efforts (4 wickets in 13 innings) were enough to keep him in contention as an all-rounder.