Root regains top spot in ICC ranking

He scored 291 runs in West Indies Test series

England’s Joe Root has regained his position as the top-ranked batter in the ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings following a stellar series against the West Indies.

With a total of 291 runs across three matches, including a crucial 87 in the final Test in Birmingham, Root surpassed New Zealand’s Kane Williamson, reclaiming the No.1 spot he last held a year ago.

As a result of Root’s performance, Williamson has dropped to second place in the Test batter rankings. Additionally, Pakistan’s Babar Azam and New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell are now tied for third, while Australia’s Steve Smith and India’s Rohit Sharma hold the fifth and sixth positions respectively. England’s Harry Brook has fallen four places to seventh due to a less impactful series.

In the Test bowler rankings, England captain Ben Stokes has climbed four spots to 30th, thanks to his role as an opener. Teammates Mark Wood and Gus Atkinson have also seen improvements, moving to 20th and 46th respectively, reflecting their strong bowling performances.

For Test all-rounders, Stokes has advanced to sixth, and Chris Woakes has moved up to ninth. Ravindra Jadeja remains the top-ranked all-rounder with a significant lead.

In T20I batting rankings, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill have made notable advances, with Jaiswal moving up to fourth and Gill achieving a career-high 21st place. This has pushed Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan down to fifth and sixth, respectively.

On the T20I bowler rankings, Ravi Bishnoi has re-entered the top 10 after an eight-place jump. Arshdeep Singh, Washington Sundar, and Mohammed Siraj have also seen improvements, while Matheesha Pathirana of Sri Lanka has risen to 77th place.

In the T20I all-rounder rankings, Australia’s Marcus Stoinis has reclaimed the No.1 position, overtaking Wanindu Hasaranga, who has dropped to equal third.