Abhishek Tops T20I Batting Rankings as Jansen Leads Test Charts
India opening batter Abhishek Sharma has returned to the number one position in the ICC Men's T20I batting rankings, while South Africa all-rounder Marco Jansen has climbed to the top of both the Test bowling and Test all-rounder tables. According to the latest ranking update from the International Cricket Council, the changes reflect standout individual performances in recent international fixtures across New Zealand and South Africa.
Jansen's climb across multiple categories follows his decisive contribution during South Africa's second Test victory over Australia in Gqeberha. Playing as a 26-year-old lower-order contributor, he registered 85 runs before taking 5 for 33 as Australia collapsed for 99 in their opening turn at bat.
Double Ascension in Test Bowling and All-Rounder Tables
Jansen's match haul in Gqeberha propelled him five positions upward to claim top spot among Test bowlers with 876 rating points. According to LiveMint, this movement shifted Mitchell Starc, Matt Henry, Ollie Robinson and Jasprit Bumrah down by a single place respectively. He became the first South African to lead the Test bowling table since Kagiso Rabada reached the milestone in November 2024.
Marco Jansen is the first South African player to become the top-ranked Test all-rounder since Vernon Philander in August 2014, according to International Cricket Council.
In the Test all-rounder classification, Jansen advanced one spot to displace India's Ravindra Jadeja from the summit. Jadeja had maintained the top ranking among Test all-rounders for more than four years. In addition, Jansen advanced 13 places to 56th among Test batters, having collected 10 wickets across the opening two Tests against Australia.
Abhishek Sharma Reclaims Premier T20I Batting Ranking
In the shortest international format, Abhishek Sharma reclaimed the leading batting ranking following his rapid century against New Zealand in Wellington. The left-hander reached three figures in 35 deliveries, finishing with 113 runs off 38 balls to guide India to a six-wicket victory and establish a 3-0 series lead.
Abhishek Sharma took his tally to 11 centuries in T20 cricket, the most by an Indian batter in the shortest format, according to Rediff.
The innings enabled Abhishek to surpass national teammate Ishan Kishan, who had held the top batting ranking since July 2026. Kishan had been sidelined after the opening fixture due to an injury, allowing Abhishek to secure the necessary rating points to return to number one, having first attained the position in July 2025.
This is the second stint at the top of the T20I batting rankings for Abhishek Sharma, who previously held the No. 1 ranking from July 2025 to June 2026, according to International Cricket Council.
Additional Shifts Across International Formats
The ranking release highlighted several additional advancements across red-ball and white-ball formats. South Africa's regular skipper Temba Bavuma gained four positions to occupy second place on the Test batting ladder after his 179-run display, trailing only Harry Brook.
Australian fast bowler Scott Boland advanced three spots to sixth among Test bowlers after taking five wickets for 81 runs in Gqeberha. Proteas seamer Wiaan Mulder rose into 43rd position after securing five wickets across both innings of the contest.