There has been a significant shift in the ICC Test player rankings: Australian veteran fast bowler Mitchell Starc has claimed the title of world's best player. He has taken the top spot in the global test bowling rankings, thereby moving Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah from that position.
The 36-year-old Starc achieved this success thanks to his outstanding performance in the second Test match against Bangladesh, held in Mackay. In the entire match, he took 10 wickets, which was his first career achievement—reaching the top position in the ICC test bowling rankings.
Although Mitchell Starc has remained among the top ten bowlers in the world throughout his 15-year career, he has never held the number one spot in test bowling. After taking 10 wickets against Bangladesh, he moved up two places in the rankings, surpassing Jasprit Bumrah and New Zealand fast bowler Matt Henry.
Previously, Jasprit Bumrah became the number one in the ICC test bowling rankings for the first time in February 2024 and held that position for most of the time. However, he is currently not participating in the ICC World Test Championship series between India and Sri Lanka. The current ranking situation reflects both Bumrah's absence and Starc's excellent form.
Australian captain and fast bowler Pat Cummins also benefited in the updated test bowling rankings, taking six wickets in the match against Bangladesh. He moved up one place, securing fourth position. Furthermore, experienced Australian spinner Nathaniel Lindon improved his standing by two places and now features in the top-10.
Ollie Robinson from England and Josh Tongue also demonstrated significant progress in the test bowling rankings. In the first Test match against Pakistan, played in Headingley, both bowlers took a combined 16 wickets. Robinson moved up 15 places to take 11th place, while Josh Tongue jumped 16 places to reach 17th place.
In the test batting rankings, the top-4 remains unchanged: Harry Brook from England retains the first place, Joe Root is in second place, Steve Smith from Australia occupies third, and Travis Head is fourth.
Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant significantly improved his position in the rankings. Thanks to a half-century scored in the second innings against Sri Lanka, Pant moved up six places, becoming joint seventh in the rankings and entering the top-10 test batsmen.
Cameron Green from Australia gained nine places in the batting rankings, settling at 21st place. Dhananjaya de Silva from Sri Lanka moved up two places, becoming joint 22nd. Abdullah Shafique from Pakistan improved his ranking by seven places, taking 27th place. Indian batsman KL Rahul gained five positions, reaching 30th place.
In the test all-rounder rankings, Ravindra Jadeja from India dominates, maintaining his first place. Among other changes, Pat Cummins moved up one place, taking seventh position. Cameron Green improved his standing by one spot, becoming joint 17th. Ollie Robinson jumped five places, taking 23rd place.