ICC rankings: Joe Root, Babar Azam, and Jasprit Bumrah retain top spots

DUBAI: According to the International Cricket Council (ICC) latest player rankings, Joe Root (Test batting), Babar Azam (ODI), and Jasprit Bumrah (Test bowling) have managed to retain top spots, while pacer Shaheen Afridi climbed down to fourth spot.

In Test batting, Australia’s Steve Smith jumped three places to secure the No. 5 rank while his teammate Usman Khawaja also made significant progress, climbing six spots to No. 11. Pakistan’s Saud Shakeel ranks at 10th while Mohammad Rizwan is at 16th followed by Babar Azam at 19th which makes one Pakistani in top 10 and other two in Top 20.

In ODI batting, India’s top-order trio, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli, hold the second, third, and fourth spots, respectively. In T20 batting, Australia’s Travis Head retained his position as the world’s top-ranked batter.

For Test bowlers, India’s Jasprit Bumrah continues to lead the rankings while Pakistan’s Nauman Ali made a notable impact, with the No. 5 spot.

In the ODI bowling category, Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan remains at No. 1, followed by India’s Kuldeep Yadav at No. 2. A major shift occurred in the T20 bowling rankings, as West Indies’ Akeal Hosein moved up one spot to claim the No. 1 position.