LONDON: England’s Joe Root has regained his position as the world’s No.1 ranked Test batter, according to the latest ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings. Root’s resurgence comes after a stellar series performance against the West Indies, which has seen him overtake New Zealand’s Kane Williamson, who drops to second place.
Root’s impressive series against the Caribbean side saw him accumulate a series-best 291 runs over three matches. His standout performance was an innings of 87 in the third and final Test held in Birmingham. This latest achievement marks Root’s return to the top spot he previously held from August 2015 until last year.
The former England captain’s recent success adds to his impressive career statistics, including his 32nd Test century and a rise to seventh on the all-time Test run-scorer list. Root’s consistent performances have reaffirmed his status as one of the leading Test batters in the world.
Several players have experienced changes in their rankings. New Zealand’s Kane Williamson has dropped to second place, while Pakistan’s Babar Azam and New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell share the third position. Australia’s Steve Smith and India’s Rohit Sharma are now ranked fifth and sixth respectively, with England’s Harry Brook falling to seventh after a rare failure in the series against the West Indies.
In the Test bowler rankings, England captain Ben Stokes has risen four places to 30th, following his notable performances as an opener. Teammates Mark Wood and Gus Atkinson have also climbed the rankings, with Wood moving up six spots to 20th and Atkinson gaining four places to 46th.
The West Indies received a silver lining from their performance in the series with the rise of young fast bowler Jayden Seales, who has moved up seven spots to joint 26th in the Test bowler rankings. Seales’ performance, including three wickets in the first innings and a total of 13 wickets in the series, has earned him a career-high rating.
In the Test all-rounder rankings, England’s Ben Stokes has climbed one place to sixth, while Chris Woakes has moved up three spots to ninth. India’s Ravindra Jadeja continues to lead the all-rounder rankings with a substantial lead.
The latest T20I rankings also saw significant movements. India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill made notable gains, with Jaiswal moving up two spots to fourth and Gill climbing 16 places to 21st. Gill’s rise reflects his growing prominence in T20 cricket following India’s recent series sweep over Sri Lanka.
Former top-ranked spinner Ravi Bishnoi has re-entered the T20I top 10 with an eight-spot jump, while Arshdeep Singh, Washington Sundar, and Mohammed Siraj have also made gains in the T20I bowler rankings. Sri Lanka’s Matheesha Pathirana has shown considerable improvement, jumping 13 places to equal 77th.
In the T20I all-rounder rankings, Australia’s Marcus Stoinis has reclaimed the No.1 spot despite his side not featuring in T20 matches recently. Stoinis has replaced Wanindu Hasaranga of Sri Lanka, who has dropped to equal third place following a quieter series against India.
