A historic performance in Birmingham has catapulted India captain Shubman Gill into the top 10 of the ICC Men’s Test Batting Rankings for the first time in his career. After his innings of 269 and 161 in the second Test, which made him the only second player in Test history to score more than 150 in both innings of a match, Gill now sits at a career-best No. 6 in the world.
The 24-year-old had entered the England series ranked 23rd but climbed an astonishing 15 places following his 430-run match haul; Gill already has 585 runs in two Tests with three still remaining. Previously, Gill’s best position was 14th in September 2023. His landmark showing at Edgbaston, where he led India to a thumping 336-run win, marked the high point of his short but increasingly glittering Test career.
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England’s Harry Brook also enjoyed a significant leap in the latest rankings update. The 25-year-old batter jumped to the No. 1 spot in the Test rankings after his first-innings 158 at Birmingham, leapfrogging teammate Joe Root, who dropped to second. Brook had briefly held the top position for a week last December and now reclaims it after another classy display. Root, in contrast, lost 18 rating points following a rare twin failure.
Jadeja climbs, bowlers gain
The rankings update brought further good news for India. Ravindra Jadeja surged six spots to No. 39 among batters after gritty knocks of 89 and 69*, anchoring India’s lower-middle order. Meanwhile, debutant England keeper Jamie Smith rocketed 16 spots to No. 10 after innings of 184* and 88, a staggering rise that puts him in elite company.
{{/usCountry}}The rankings update brought further good news for India. Ravindra Jadeja surged six spots to No. 39 among batters after gritty knocks of 89 and 69*, anchoring India’s lower-middle order. Meanwhile, debutant England keeper Jamie Smith rocketed 16 spots to No. 10 after innings of 184* and 88, a staggering rise that puts him in elite company.
{{/usCountry}}India’s pacers were also rewarded for their heroics in Birmingham. Mohammad Siraj moved up six places to 22nd among Test bowlers following his seven-wicket match haul, while Akash Deep’s sensational 10-wicket haul launched him 39 spots to No. 45, a career-best position for the 28-year-old.
Elsewhere, South Africa’s Wiaan Mulder broke new ground. His unbeaten 367 in Bulawayo, a knock that drew headlines for being cut short out of “respect” for Brian Lara’s record, saw him leap 34 places to No. 22 among batters. With three wickets in the match, Mulder also rose to 48th among bowlers.