DUBAI: Virat Kohli’s stellar performance catapulted him to the sixth position in the latest ICC Test Rankings for batsmen. Displaying remarkable form against South Africa, Kohli recorded scores of 38 and 76 in Centurion, followed by a pivotal match-winning knock of 46 in the decisive game at Cape Town, culminating in a series total of 172 runs.
This surge in rankings propelled Kohli to 775 points, surpassing Babar Azam, who slipped two places to eighth with 768 points after a lackluster performance, managing only 126 runs in six innings against Australia. Meanwhile, Mohammad Rizwan’s impressive 88-run innings in the first innings of the Sydney Test led to a significant jump of 10 places for him, securing the 16th rank with 668 rating points. Saud Shakeel moved down to 14th place with 693 rating points.
At the top of the batting rankings, New Zealand’s Kane Williamson maintained a slender lead with 864 points, followed closely by Joe Root at 859, while Australia’s Steve Smith secured the third spot with 818 points.
In the bowling department, Aamer Jamal continued to make a strong impression in his debut series. His remarkable six-wicket haul in the Sydney Test propelled him 12 spots up the rankings, landing him at the 45th position with 432 points. Shaheen Afridi is the highest-ranked Pakistani bowler at the 12th position with 733 points, while Ravichandran Ashwin continues to lead the bowling rankings with 863 points.
