Jansen Ends Jadeja's Four-Year Reign in ICC Rankings Shakeup

Dr. Annelies De Vos · 2026-10-29

Marco Jansen just did something nobody has managed in over four years. The South African quick climbed to No. 1 in the ICC men's Test bowling rankings, and in the same update, he knocked Ravindra Jadeja off the top of the all-rounder table. That's a run Jadeja had held since before most of us can remember. Meanwhile, India's Abhishek Sharma grabbed back the No. 1 spot among T20I batters. Two big moves, one Wednesday update. Let's break it down. ### How Jansen Took the Top Spot Jansen earned it the hard way in Gqeberha. He took 5 for 33 as South Africa bowled Australia out for just 99 in the first innings. Then he backed it up with the bat, scoring 85 from No. 8. South Africa won that Test to level the series, and across the first two matches, Jansen has ten wickets to his name. He now sits on 876 rating points in the Test bowling list. Mitchell Starc slipped to second, while Matt Henry, Ollie Robinson, and Jasprit Bumrah each dropped a place. Bumrah is fifth with 853 points. Here's the catch: Starc has already taken six wickets in the ongoing third Test. So the top of that list could flip again before the series wraps up. Nothing is locked in. ### Jadeja's Long Run Finally Ends In the all-rounder rankings, Jansen moved from second to first, ending Jadeja's reign of more than four years. Jansen also jumped 13 places in Test batting to rank 56th. Simon Harmer climbed 15 spots to eighth among all-rounders. > "Rankings reward consistency, but moments like Gqeberha are what push a player over the line." That's the thing about these tables. They measure the long game, but a single match can tip the scales. ### Abhishek Sharma Is Back on Top Over in Wellington, Abhishek Sharma put on a show. He smashed 113 off 38 balls in the third T20I against New Zealand, and his century came off just 35 deliveries. India chased down 199 and won by six wickets, taking a 3-0 lead in the five-match series. That innings lifted him to 897 rating points and past his India teammate Ishan Kishan, who had claimed the top spot back in July. Abhishek had managed just 29 and 27 in the first two matches, so this was a proper statement knock. Pakistan captain Sahibzada Farhan sits second with 883 points. Kishan dropped to third with 866 after an injury kept him out of the second and third T20Is. India captain Shreyas Iyer fell five places to ninth with 758 points. ### Other Names on the Move - Temba Bavuma rose four places to second in Test batting, behind only Harry Brook. His 179 in the second Test's first innings earned him Player of the Match. - Scott Boland climbed three places to sixth among Test bowlers. - Harry Brook also jumped six spots in ODI batting after his 202 against Sri Lanka in the Pakistan tri-series. - Shaheen Shah Afridi moved up two places to sixth in ODI bowling, and Azmatullah Omarzai gained 13 places to reach seventh. - On the women's side, South Africa's Laura Wolvaardt took No. 1 in ODI batting from India's Smriti Mandhana, who is now second. Mandhana is fourth in women's T20I batting, one spot behind teammate Shafali Verma in third. ### What This Means Going Forward Rankings shift, but the underlying story is about players hitting form at the right time. Jansen is peaking in a marquee series against Australia. Abhishek turned a quiet start into a headline moment. And Jadeja's four-year grip finally loosened. For fans, it's a reminder to keep watching. The third Test is still live, and Starc is breathing down Jansen's neck. Every innings counts.