In a remarkable return to Test cricket, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant made an impressive comeback, re-entering the ICC rankings at sixth position following his sensational century in the first match of the two-Test series against Bangladesh in Chennai. Pant scored a stunning century, earning him 731 rating points. Meanwhile, opener Yashasvi Jaiswal also made strides, moving up to fifth place with 751 points after contributing a half-century in the same Test.
However, it wasn’t a good day for India captain Rohit Sharma, who despite remaining in the top ten, dropped five spots due to a couple of disappointing performances, now sitting at a total of 716 rating points.
In the ODI rankings, young Afghan star Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Australia’s Travis Head surged into the top ten batting rankings, thanks to their explosive centuries in matches across the UAE and England. Gurbaz, continuing his stellar start in ODI cricket, scored his seventh century before turning 23, moving up ten spots to eighth with 692 points. This achievement makes him the first Afghan batter to break into the ICC Men’s ODI Batting Ranking’s top ten. Previously, the highest-ranked player from Afghanistan was Ibrahim Zadran, who reached 12th place.
Gurbaz’s ascent came at the expense of Travis Head, who climbed seven spots to ninth place with 684 points, largely thanks to his remarkable innings of 154 not out against England in the first of five ODIs.
In the ODI Bowling Rankings, Afghan leg-spinner Rashid Khan also made headlines, jumping eight positions to third with 668 points, following his seven-wicket haul during Afghanistan’s two victories over South Africa in the UAE. His and Gurbaz’s performances were pivotal in securing Afghanistan’s first ODI series win against a top five-ranked team.
Virat Kohli, on the other hand, faced a setback, dropping five spots to 12th in the Test rankings, thus falling out of the top ten.
The recent Test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Galle prompted shifts in the bowling rankings as well. Prabath Jayasuriya solidified his status as a top spinner, moving up five spots to eighth after claiming nine wickets in the match. With 743 points, he is now the highest-ranked Sri Lankan player across all formats. Asitha Fernando, however, slipped down to 13th with 700 points.
Other notable movements included Kamindu Mendis, who climbed three spots to 16th in the batting rankings, and Dhananjaya de Silva, who rose five places to 18th in the All-Rounder Rankings with 168 points, showcasing the competitive nature of the current cricket landscape.
