New Zealand cricketers Colin Munro and Ish Sodhi have gone to the top of the world Twenty20 rankings.
Black Caps duo Colin Munro, left, and Ish Sodhi. Photo: Photosport
Munro headed the batting list, while leg-spinner Sodhi was atop the bowling standings when the International Cricket Council released their latest rankings today.
The news came after the Black Caps also regained the No 1 team ranking in the T20 format with their 119-run demolition of the West Indies in the third and final match in Mt Maunganui on Wednesday night.
Munro and Sodhi became the second New Zealand pair after Brendon McCullum and Daniel Vettori to claim the top T20 batting and bowling positions at the same time.
Auckland left-hander Munro became the first player to score three T20 internationals centuries with his 53-ball 104 on Wednesday, finishing as the leading run-getter in the series, with 223 at a strike-rate of almost 200.
"It's a bit of a surprise but one that I think anybody would take," he said of taking top spot.
"It's been a bit of a goal of mine to get up the rankings and to get to the top is pretty special.
"Yeah, great to get the treble. It's pretty weird actually and it's testament to the way we've prepared."
Munro, who is followed by Australia's Aaron Finch and India's Virat Kohli in the rankings, jumped 11 places to be just the third New Zealand batsman to top the T20 batting table after McCullum and opening partner Martin Guptill.
After an impressive spell of 2-25 from four overs in Mt Maunganui, Sodhi has leapt from 10th to head the bowlers' rankings for the first time in his career.
The Northern Districts player, who is the third Black Caps bowler to rise to the top after Daniel Vettori and Shane Bond, leads a top three which also includes Imad Wasim of Pakistan and Afghanistan's Rashid Khan.
"I'm really grateful for the success I've had and I'm stoked to be ranked number-one," Sodhi said.
"It hasn't really sunk in just yet, but I'm sure it will as the days progress.
"I've been trying to find a really good balance between attacking and defending, and I think it's getting better and better the more I play.
"We've been a really good T20I side for quite some time now and I think it's probably down to how we adapt to conditions and also our leadership - the boys have been really good at helping us young players."
Black Caps bowlers Mitchell Santner, Trent Boult and Tim Southee were the other New Zealand players to improve in the rankings.
Left-arm off-spinner Santner has returned to the top 10 in fifth place, left-arm seamer Boult is up to 13th and Southee has shot up 11 places to 70th after a series-best six wickets against the West Indies.
In the batting rankings, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson slipped two places to seventh and Guptill, who has conceded one place to be 11th.