England’s rising star, Harry Brook, has overtaken Joe Root to take the top position in the latest ICC Men’s Test Batter Rankings. This marks a shift in the rankings, with stars from Australia and South Africa also making significant gains.
Brook Climbs to No.1 After Stunning Century
Brook’s ascent to the top comes after his stellar performance against New Zealand in Wellington, where he scored his eighth Test century. The England right-hander now leads Root by a narrow margin of one rating point, with Brook earning 898 points compared to Root’s 897. This achievement sees Brook join cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar with the 34th highest rating of all time for Test batters.
Root had held the top spot since July, when he surpassed New Zealand’s Kane Williamson. This is the ninth time Root has been ranked No.1 in his illustrious career. Following England’s impressive 323-run victory over the Black Caps at Basin Reserve, where Brook made scores of 123 and 55, Root, who scored 3 and 106 in the same match, acknowledged Brook’s rise and declared him the best player in the world.
Other Significant Climbs in the Rankings
Australia’s Travis Head has jumped six places to fifth, while South Africa’s captain Temba Bavuma moved up three spots to seventh. Both players have been in great form, contributing significantly for their teams. Former No.1 ranked batter Marnus Labuschagne also improved, climbing three positions to 13th.
In addition, Sri Lanka’s Dinesh Chandimal rose two spots to 15th, and South Africa’s Kyle Verreynne made an impressive jump of 15 places to 23rd in the rankings.
In the Test bowler rankings, India’s Jasprit Bumrah remains at the top, though he faces fresh competition from Australia’s Pat Cummins, who moved up to fourth, and New Zealand’s Matt Henry, who gained one spot to reach ninth. Other notable improvements include Mitchell Starc (up three spots to 11th), Chris Woakes (up two places to 15th), and Gus Atkinson (up four places to 17th). South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj also made a strong comeback, rising four spots to equal 18th after his match-winning performance against Sri Lanka.
India’s Ravindra Jadeja continues to hold the No.1 position in the Test all-rounder rankings. Bangladesh’s Mehidy Hasan Miraz, following his performance against the West Indies, climbed two places to second.
Updates in ODI and T20I Rankings
In the ODI rankings, West Indies players Shai Hope and Gudakesh Motie made strides. Hope moved up one spot to eighth among batters, while Motie jumped four places to ninth among bowlers after their series against Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, in the T20I rankings, Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan made a notable climb, rising two places to sixth among batters. Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi also enjoyed a rise, jumping six spots to 20th among bowlers.