South Africa’s Marco Jansen and India’s Abhishek Sharma both reached the top of their categories in the latest ICC player rankings update, after strong showings in the World Test Championship and a T20I series in New Zealand.
Jansen is ranked No. 1 Test bowler and No. 1 Test all-rounder for the first time. Abhishek is again the top T20I batter. The shifts follow South Africa’s win over Australia in Gqeberha and India’s series-clinching victory in Wellington.
Jansen’s Gqeberha surge
Jansen’s dual climb rests on his work in the second ICC World Test Championship match against Australia in Gqeberha. The left-armer scored 85 with the bat and took a five-wicket haul in Australia’s first innings as the Proteas won comprehensively and levelled the three-match series at 1–1.
Captain Temba Bavuma also rose four places to second among Test batters after a Player of the Match display that included 179 in the first innings. England captain Harry Brook remains the only batter ranked above him. Australia’s Scott Boland moved up three places to sixth among Test bowlers, while South Africa spinner Simon Harmer jumped 15 places to eighth among Test all-rounders, a list now led by Jansen.
Abhishek back on top in T20Is
Abhishek’s return to No. 1 among T20I batters followed a century against New Zealand in Wellington in the third match of the series on Tuesday. He reached three figures in 35 balls and finished on 113 from 38 as India won by six wickets and sealed the series.
That innings was enough to move him back above teammate Ishan Kishan. Abhishek first reached No. 1 in July 2025, when he overtook Australia’s Travis Head. Kishan had later taken the top spot from him in July after performances in Ireland.
Other T20I batting movers include Sanju Samson, up six places to 20th, and New Zealand’s Finn Allen, up three to 25th. Among T20I bowlers, Mitchell Santner rose seven places to seventh and Arshdeep Singh six places to 15th.
ODI shifts as Pakistan hosts tri-series
There were also changes in the ICC cricket rankings for ODIs while the tri-series among hosts Pakistan, England and Sri Lanka continues. Ben Duckett and Harry Brook were among the improvers on the ODI batting list.
On the ODI bowling list, Pakistan paceman Shaheen Afridi rose two places to sixth, Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai climbed 13 places to seventh, and Namibia’s Bernard Scholtz moved up nine places to eighth. Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi jumped five places to third among ODI all-rounders.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- July 2025: Abhishek Sharma first reaches No. 1 among T20I batters, overtaking Travis Head.
- July (this year): Ishan Kishan takes the No. 1 T20I batter spot from Abhishek after performances in Ireland.
- Tuesday, Wellington: Abhishek scores 113 off 38 balls (century in 35 balls) as India clinch the T20I series against New Zealand by six wickets.
- Second WTC Test, Gqeberha: Jansen scores 85 and takes five wickets in Australia’s first innings; Bavuma makes 179; South Africa levels the series 1–1.
- 28 October 2026: Latest rankings list Jansen as No. 1 Test bowler and all-rounder, and Abhishek as No. 1 T20I batter.
Aasan alfaaz mein
ICC ne naye player rankings jaari kiye hain. South Africa ke Marco Jansen ab Test bowling aur all-rounder dono mein No. 1 hain. India ke Abhishek Sharma T20 batting mein phir se top par aa gaye hain. Pakistan ke Shaheen Afridi ODI bowling mein sixth number par pahunch gaye hain.
