Babar Azam slips down in ICC Test rankings

Pakistan's star batter Babar Azam has slipped one place in the latest ICC Test Rankings, moving down to 12th position (712 points). Meanwhile, his teammate Mohammad Rizwan continues to rise, climbing one spot to secure 7th place (720 points) among Test batters, solidifying his position inside the top 10.

While Pakistan's key players saw adjustments, India’s fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah stole the spotlight by reclaiming the No.1 ranking among Test bowlers. Bumrah’s stellar performance, taking six wickets in India’s seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh in Kanpur, propelled him back to the top of the rankings for the second time in his career.

Bumrah surpassed his teammate Ravichandran Ashwin, who now sits just one point behind with 870 rating points after also delivering a strong performance in the same match. On the other hand, Bangladesh’s Mehidy Hasan and Shakib Al Hasan both made notable jumps, with Mehidy rising to 18th and Shakib climbing five spots to 28th.

India's Yashasvi Jaiswal delivered standout performances in the rain-affected Test against Bangladesh, scoring 72 and 51 runs. His consistency earned him the Player of the Match award and saw him leap two places to a career-high third position in the Test batter rankings, with only Joe Root and Kane Williamson ahead of him.

Virat Kohli also made a significant return to form, moving up six spots to break into the top 10 once again, now standing at 6th. His contributions of 47 and 29* in the Bangladesh series showcased his steady resurgence in Test cricket.

India’s series sweep over Bangladesh not only elevated their players' rankings but also strengthened their position at the top of the ICC World Test Championship standings. This victory places them in prime contention for their third consecutive WTC final.

Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis and several of his teammates saw notable climbs as well. Mendis rose five spots to 11th in the batter rankings after a century against New Zealand, while veterans Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews jumped to 20th and 23rd, respectively.

Bangladesh's Mehidy Hasan moved two places to 5th among all-rounders, and India’s Ravindra Jadeja comfortably held his top spot. Meanwhile, in the ODI rankings, Australia’s Steve Smith climbed to 20th, and England’s Harry Brook and Ben Duckett achieved new career-highs, with Brook soaring 73 spots to 50th and Duckett rising to 54th.

In the T20I rankings, South Africa’s Reeza Hendricks rose five places to 11th among batters, while Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee reached a career-best 2nd place in the all-rounder rankings after his impressive performances.