Shubman Gill’s Test rise continues after century vs Afghanistan as Joe Root loses number 1 spot in latest ICC rankings

Shubman Gill climbed two places to No. 8 in the latest ICC Men’s Test batting rankings after his century against Afghanistan, giving India a fresh upward move in the top 10 even as the biggest shake-up came at the very top, where Harry Brook replaced Joe Root as the No. 1 Test batter.

Shubman Gill, after winning the Test series against Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Ashwini Bhatia)
Shubman Gill, after winning the Test series against Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Ashwini Bhatia)

Shubman Gill’s rise came after another composed hundred in red-ball cricket, continuing his strong run in the format. The India batter’s latest jump keeps him among the leading Test batters in the world and adds another layer to his growing stature in the longer format. For India, the movement is significant because Gill has now strengthened his place inside the top bracket at a time when the Test batting order is being shaped around younger long-term figures.

Brook replaces Root at the top

While Gill provided the Indian angle, the headline movement in the rankings came from England. Brook regained the No. 1 position after England’s 115-run win over New Zealand in the first Test at Lord’s. The England batter had scored a half-century in difficult conditions, enough to push him back above teammate Root.

Root, who had a poor outing with scores of 1 and 8, slipped from the top spot to No. 3. Australia’s Travis Head moved up to No. 2, placing himself between the two England batters. Brook had first reached the top of the Test batting rankings in December 2024 and has now reclaimed the position ahead of England’s second Test against New Zealand at The Oval, beginning June 17.

There were other notable batting movements as well. England opener Ben Duckett climbed three places to 15th, while wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith rose five spots to 23rd. New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips also made a major jump, moving up 15 places to 40th after his fighting effort at Lord’s.

In the Test bowling rankings, England pacer Gus Atkinson was one of the biggest movers. He jumped seven places to enter the top 10, reaching 10th after his role in England’s win. Atkinson also climbed two spots to sixth in the Test all-rounders’ list. New Zealand pacer Kyle Jamieson returned to 22nd, Ollie Robinson came back at 23rd, while Nathan Smith climbed 16 places to 43rd.

Also Read: Hardik Pandya suffers fresh injury setback, ruled out of India vs Afghanistan ODIs; England series in doubt

The ICC update also included changes in the ODI rankings. Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed rose to No. 2 among ODI bowlers after taking six wickets in the series against Australia. Shaheen Afridi moved up four places to ninth after finishing with seven wickets. Nathan Ellis climbed 13 spots to 31st, while Bangladesh quick Nahid Rana rose 23 places to 24th.

Among ODI batters, Sri Lanka’s Kusal Mendis moved to 12th, Janith Liyanage climbed to 22nd, and Bangladesh opener Tanzid Hasan rose to 33rd.

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