Several familiar names climbed with purpose, others slipped a rung or two, and a few rose quietly into territory once thought beyond reach.
After a blistering performance in the Ashes opener at Perth, Travis Head surged to sixth in the ICC Test batting rankings, an ascent that reflects not just form, but a growing maturity in pressure filled sessions. His innings, equal parts grit and flair, seemed to capture the mood of an Australian side eager to reassert dominance.
Meanwhile, teammate Mitchell Starc enjoyed one of the most rewarding weeks of his career. He stormed into the top five of the Test bowling rankings, reaching a career best rating. Starc also vaulted to fifth among Test all rounders, a nod to his habit of turning tight situations on their head with bat or ball.
Yet the week wasn’t entirely golden for Australia. Josh Hazlewood slipped two places in the bowling list, while Scott Boland and Nathan Lyon dropped one position each. England’s Gus Atkinson slid out of the top 10 altogether, landing at 12th an abrupt reminder that the rankings can be as unforgiving as the sport itself.
England’s captain Ben Stokes nudged into second place among Test all rounders, pushing Bangladesh’s Mehidy Hasan Miraz to third. Stokes now sits just behind India’s ever steady Ravindra Jadeja, whose grip on the No.1 spot remains firm.
Another Englishman, Ollie Pope, also enjoyed a modest rise, moving up to 24th in the Test batting list, a quiet but encouraging step for the young right-hander.
ODIs, Rohit Sharma reclaims the throne
In the ODI format, Rohit Sharma reclaimed the No.1 batting ranking, edging past New Zealand’s in form Daryl Mitchell. Mitchell’s strong run, averaging 54.34 across 17 ODIs this year, temporarily lifted him to the summit, but an untimely injury cost him valuable rating points and his short lived reign.
India’s batting lineup continues to crowd the upper ranks, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, and Shreyas Iyer all hold firm in the top 10, illustrating a consistency that has become the team’s calling card.
Among bowlers, Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan stayed perched at No.1, while England’s Jofra Archer reclaimed second place as he worked back into rhythm. Further down, Matt Henry, Keshav Maharaj, and Mitchell Santner quietly held their ground, each demonstrating the kind of reliability any captain would cherish.
In the all rounders’ chart, Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai continues to lead the pack, followed by Zimbabwe s evergreen Sikandar Raza, whose rise across formats has become a story in itself.
T20I, Raza reaches the summit
Raza’s remarkable run extended to T20Is as well, where he climbed to No.1 among all rounders, a milestone that caps off a year of relentless, almost workmanlike excellence. His rise feels less like a sudden leap and more like the natural reward for months of steady brilliance.
