The world of cricket witnessed a major shuffle in the ICC Test rankings this week, with Indian powerhouses Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma marking impressive climbs. The duo’s stellar performances in South Africa propelled them upwards, leaving Pakistan’s Babar Azam with a slight dip.
Virat Kohli, the man of the moment, put on a masterclass in South Africa, earning him a jump to the 6th position. His hunger for runs proved unstoppable, even on challenging pitches. Hot on his heels is skipper Rohit Sharma, who cracked the Top 10 at No. 10 after consistent starts with the bat. This resurgence pushed established names like Travis Head and Saud Shakeel out of the elite club.
ICC Test Rankings: Virat Kohli goes past Babar Azam
Meanwhile, Babar Azam’s highest score of 41 wasn’t enough to keep him secure. He slipped two spots to No. 8, reminding everyone that even cricket’s giants face occasional downswings. The rankings saw other notable shifts, with Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne and Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan enjoying climbs thanks to impactful knocks.
On the bowling front, it was India’s fast bowling duo of Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah who stole the show. Siraj’s career-best performance in South Africa rocketed him 13 places to No. 17, while Bumrah’s impressive return to Test cricket earned him a one-spot climb to No. 4.
Across the border, Australia’s captain Pat Cummins proved his dominance, dethroning South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada to claim the No. 2 spot. His three consecutive five-wicket hauls were simply unstoppable. And let’s not forget Josh Hazlewood, who terrorized batters in the second innings of SCG Test has rocketed to joint-seventh position alongside James Anderson.
While the top spots remained unchanged with Kane Williamson (batting) and Ravichandran Ashwin (bowling) reigning supreme, the middle and lower ranks witnessed a whirlwind of movement.
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