Joe Root has reclaimed the No.1 position in the ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings for batters, following an impressive series against the West Indies. The England batter amassed 291 runs over the three matches, highlighted by a vital knock of 87 in the final Test held in Birmingham. This performance enabled Root to surpass New Zealand’s Kane Williamson, who had previously held the top spot. Root had last been the world’s leading Test batter a year ago.
In other rankings updates, Pakistan’s Babar Azam and New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell have both climbed to joint third place with 768 points each. Australia’s Steve Smith and India’s Rohit Sharma occupy the fifth and sixth positions, respectively. England’s Harry Brook, however, has dropped four places to seventh following a less impactful performance in the same series.
In the Test bowling rankings, England’s captain Ben Stokes has made significant strides, moving up four spots to 30th. His fellow teammates, Mark Wood and Gus Atkinson, have also seen their positions improve, with Wood climbing to 20th and Atkinson making his way to 46th, both reflecting their strong displays with the ball.
For the Test all-rounder rankings, Ben Stokes has ascended to sixth place, while Chris Woakes has progressed to ninth. India’s Ravindra Jadeja continues to dominate the all-rounder category, maintaining a substantial lead at the top.
In the T20I format, Indian batters Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill have made significant strides. Jaiswal has surged to fourth place, while Gill has reached a career-high 21st position. This reshuffling has seen Pakistan’s Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan slip to fifth and sixth, respectively.
The T20I bowling rankings have also seen notable changes, with India’s Ravi Bishnoi re-entering the top 10 after a remarkable eight-place jump. Fellow Indian bowlers Arshdeep Singh, Washington Sundar, and Mohammed Siraj have all improved their standings, and Sri Lanka’s Matheesha Pathirana has risen to 77th place.
In the T20I all-rounder category, Australia’s Marcus Stoinis has reclaimed the top spot, overtaking Wanindu Hasaranga, who has dropped to joint third. This shift marks Stoinis’s return to the pinnacle of the rankings, showcasing his consistent all-around contributions.
