Abhishek Sharma Reclaims T20I Throne; Marco Jansen Dominates Test Rankings
India's Abhishek Sharma reclaims the top T20I batter spot, while South Africa's Marco Jansen dominates Test bowling and all-rounder rankings.
In a massive shake-up of the ICC rankings, India's explosive opener Abhishek Sharma T20I rankings surge has seen him reclaim the No. 1 spot among batters. This ascent comes on the heels of a breathtaking performance against New Zealand, while South Africa's Marco Jansen has staged a historic takeover of the Test arena, topping both the bowling and all-rounder charts.
Abhishek Sharma's Blistering Return to the Top
Abhishek Sharma's journey back to the summit was paved with raw power during the third T20I in Wellington. In a display of absolute dominance, the left-hander smashed a century in a mere 35 balls, eventually finishing with a staggering 113 runs off just 38 deliveries. His fireworks ensured a six-wicket victory for India and secured the series win.
This performance allowed Abhishek to displace his own teammate, Ishan Kishan, who had held the top spot since July after a strong showing in Ireland. It is a familiar territory for Abhishek, who first touched the No. 1 spot in July 2025, when he overtook Australia's Travis Head.
Marco Jansen: The New King of Test Cricket
While Abhishek owned the shortest format, Marco Jansen dominated the longest. Following South Africa's convincing win over Australia in the second ICC World Test Championship match in Gqeberha, the 26-year-old left-arm pacer has reached the pinnacle of Test cricket for the first time in his career.
Jansen's impact was felt in every department. He contributed 85 crucial runs with the bat and dismantled the Australian lineup with a match-winning five-wicket haul in the first innings. This all-round masterclass resulted in a dramatic rise across three different categories:
- Test Bowling: He leaped five positions to overtake Mitchell Starc as the world's top-ranked Test bowler.
- Test All-Rounder: He moved up one spot to displace India's Ravindra Jadeja, ending Jadeja's four-year reign at the top.
- Test Batting: He climbed 13 places to reach 56th position.
This rise comes as a validation of high praise from South African legend Dale Steyn, who recently labeled Jansen as 'the best cricketer in the world'.
Other Notable Shifts in T20I and ODI Rankings
The rankings update saw several other players making significant gains across different formats.
T20I Movements
India's Sanju Samson saw a jump of six places to reach 20th in the batter rankings, while New Zealand's Finn Allen climbed three spots to 25th. On the bowling front, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner rose seven places to 7th, and India's Arshdeep Singh moved up six spots to 15th.
ODI Changes
The ODI rankings were influenced by the tri-series featuring Pakistan, England, and Sri Lanka. England's Harry Brook and Ben Duckett both made progress in the batting charts. Meanwhile, the bowling rankings saw a surge of talent into the top 10:
- Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan): Climbed two places to 6th.
- Azmatullah Omarzai (Afghanistan): Jumped 13 positions to 7th.
- Bernard Scholtz (Namibia): Rose nine places to 8th.
Additionally, Afghanistan's veteran Mohammad Nabi made a strong impression, climbing five places to secure the 3rd spot in the ODI all-rounder rankings.