People · New Zealand
Pavan Kumar Ram Balaji
2×2 · top 7.6% of 186,767 all-time · competing since December 2022 · 2022BALA18
Pavan Kumar Ram Balaji has been competing for 4 years. His best event is the 2×2: a personal-best single of 2.36, set at NZ North Island Championship 2023, puts him in the top 7.6% of the 186,767 people who have ever been ranked in the event, and 165th in New Zealand. Until February 2008, no official 2×2 solve in the world had been that fast. Across 8 competitions since December 2022, he has put 283 official solves on the record across eight events. Solve to solve, his 3×3 times vary about 12% around a typical one, steadier than 73% of the 35,811 competitors with ten or more counted rounds. His 2×2 best has come down from 4.89 in December 2022 to 2.36, a 52% improvement. Pavan has entered eight competitions, more competitions than 90% of everyone who has ever competed.
Standing, event by event
vs everyone ever ranked| Event | PB single | PB average | All-time standing | New Zealand | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2×2 | 2.36 | 4.66 | top 7.6% | 165 / 1,615 | |
| 3×3 | 12.68 | 15.95 | top 16.3% | 338 / 2,095 | |
| Pyraminx | 6.06 | 7.64 | top 20.4% | 285 / 1,141 | |
| Skewb | 6.18 | 10.88 | top 27.2% | 206 / 666 | |
| 4×4 | 1:05.76 | 1:18.58 | top 42.6% | 281 / 722 | |
| 3×3 one-handed | 41.52 | 45.09 | top 67.4% | 371 / 600 | |
| Megaminx | 2:43.57 | — | top 67.5% | 212 / 283 | |
| 5×5 | 3:28.64 | — | top 86.2% | 302 / 355 |
Percentile against all competitors ever ranked in each event, a fairer measure than raw rank, because the pools differ by a factor of ten.
The line so far
Best single per competition, 2×2. Faster is higher — the axis is the right way up.
The story so far
- 16 Aug 2025First sub-15 3×3: 13.38 at 2x2 in Tāmaki Makaurau 2025.
- 1 Jul 2023Four personal bests in one day at Auckland Mid-Year Madness 2023.
- 13 May 2023First sub-20 3×3: 15.98 at Auckland Autumn 2023.
- 13 May 2023Six personal bests in one day at Auckland Autumn 2023.
- 9 Dec 2022First competition: New Zealand Nationals 2022. A 22.75 3×3 single to start from.
Competitions
- New Zealand Nationals 2025 · 12 Dec 2025 — 2 personal bests set
- 2x2 in Tāmaki Makaurau 2025 · 16 Aug 2025 — 1 personal best set
- Te Atatū Newcomers Open 2024 · 16 Mar 2024 — 1 personal best set
- A New Year in Auckland 2024 · 20 Jan 2024 — 1 personal best set
- NZ North Island Championship 2023 · 27 Oct 2023 — 1 personal best set
- Auckland Mid-Year Madness 2023 · 1 Jul 2023 — 4 personal bests set
- Auckland Autumn 2023 · 13 May 2023 — 6 personal bests set
- New Zealand Nationals 2022 · 9 Dec 2022 — 2 personal bests set
Reading this page: a single is one solve's time · an average is the middle three of five solves, best and worst discarded · a PB is a personal best · a DNF (did not finish) is an attempt with no valid result: a popped piece, an unsolved face, an over-limit memorisation · top X% compares against everyone ever ranked in that event, which is fairer than raw rank because event pools differ tenfold.
The circuit
The people whose scorecards keep turning up next to his.
- Brandon Harris — met in 64 rounds, finished ahead 3 times
- Elyas Eyou — met in 64 rounds, finished ahead once
- Edwin Shen — met in 60 rounds, finished ahead once
Next targets
- A sub-2 2×2 single — 8,848 people have one; it is 0.36 away.
- A sub-12 3×3 single — 39,535 people have one; it is 0.68 away.
Targets move as he improves.