ICC Test Rankings: Major setback for Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli re-enters top 10
It was just two years ago, in 2022, that Kohli fell out of the top 10 for the first time in years.
The Indian cricket team's players have made significant progress in the ICC Test rankings, with Jasprit Bumrah, Virat Kohli, and Yashasvi Jaiswal making impressive strides. Following India's dominant 2-0 victory over Bangladesh, Bumrah has claimed the top spot as the No. 1 bowler, Kohli has broken into the top 10, and Jaiswal has achieved his career-best ranking in the ICC Test rankings for batters.
During the 1st Test, Ravichandran Ashwin was leading the rankings, but Bumrah's exceptional performance in Chennai, where he took five wickets, propelled him to the top spot, surpassing Ashwin. Despite rain threatening to disrupt play, India managed to secure a result in just five sessions, with Bumrah's outstanding figures of 3/15 and 3/17 elevating him to the top position with 870 points, one point ahead of his teammate.
Jaiswal, who played a crucial role in India's batting lineup with twin half-centuries in the Kanpur Test, has climbed two positions to third place in the rankings, trailing behind Joe Root and Kane Williamson. Jaiswal's stellar performance earned him the player of the match award, surpassing Ashwin and Bumrah, who also made significant contributions with the ball. Without Jaiswal's exceptional batting display on Day 4, achieving a result in the 2nd Test would have seemed like a distant dream.
Since his debut against West Indies last August, Jaiswal has had an impressive start to his Test career, amassing 1271 runs in 11 Tests at an average of 64.05, including consecutive double centuries.
Virat Kohli's recent climb in the rankings comes as a significant relief for fans and supporters. It was just two years ago, in 2022, that Kohli fell out of the top 10 for the first time in years. However, he managed to reclaim his position earlier this year during India's tour of South Africa. Following disappointing scores of 6 and 17 in Chennai, Kohli once again dropped out of the top 10. But a much-improved performance in Kanpur, where he scored 47 and remained unbeaten on 29, has propelled him to the sixth position, just below Steve Smith at 4th and Usman Khawaja at 5th. The Kanpur Test showcased Kohli's best batting in months, despite missing out on a fifty in his attempt to accelerate the scoring. In the process, he reached the milestone of 27,000 runs in international cricket, becoming the fastest player to achieve this feat, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar.
On the other hand, Rohit Sharma failed to capitalize on his opportunity, resulting in the Indian captain slipping out of the top ten rankings. Despite trying to accelerate the scoring in the first innings with aggressive shots, Rohit could only manage a quickfire 23 runs. He will now have some time to regroup as the upcoming series against New Zealand promises to be a challenging test for the home side. Among the top ten batters, wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant is the only other Indian player currently holding the 9th position.