Jansen's Rise to No. 1: What It Means for Test Cricket

Dr. Annelies De Vos · 2026-10-29

South Africa's Marco Jansen has climbed to the top of the ICC men's Test bowling rankings, and India's Abhishek Sharma is back at No. 1 among T20I batters. The update, released on Wednesday, also saw Jansen replace Ravindra Jadeja as the leading Test all-rounder. These shifts shake up the global cricketing landscape and set the stage for some thrilling contests ahead. ### Marco Jansen: A Dual Threat at the Top Jansen's ascent comes on the back of a stellar performance in the second Test against Australia in Gqeberha. He took 5 for 33 as South Africa bowled out the visitors for just 99 in the first innings. Earlier in the match, he had scored a vital 85 from No. 8, helping South Africa level the series. Across the first two Tests, Jansen has snared ten wickets. With 876 rating points, Jansen now leads the Test bowling charts. Mitchell Starc has dropped to second, while Matt Henry, Ollie Robinson, and Jasprit Bumrah each slipped one place. Bumrah sits fifth with 853 points. Starc has already taken six wickets in the ongoing third Test, so the top spot could change hands again before the series ends. In the all-rounder table, Jansen's rise ended Jadeja's remarkable four-year reign at the top. Jansen also jumped 13 places in the Test batting rankings to 56th. Simon Harmer climbed 15 spots to eighth among all-rounders. > "Jansen's ability to contribute with both bat and ball makes him a rare talent," said a cricket analyst. "He's the kind of player who can turn a game on its head." ### Abhishek Sharma: Back on Top in T20Is Abhishek Sharma's explosive 113 off 38 balls in the third T20I against New Zealand in Wellington on Tuesday propelled him back to the No. 1 spot among T20I batters. India chased down 199 to win by six wickets and take a 3-0 lead in the five-match series. His century came off just 35 balls. After modest scores of 29 and 27 in the first two matches, that innings lifted Abhishek to 897 rating points, moving him past his India teammate Ishan Kishan, who had claimed the top spot in July. Pakistan captain Sahibzada Farhan is second with 883 points. Kishan has slipped 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 Notable Movers in the ICC Rankings - Temba Bavuma moved up four places to second in the Test batting rankings, behind only Harry Brook. Bavuma scored 179 in the first innings of the second Test and was named Player of the Match. - Scott Boland gained three places to reach sixth among Test bowlers. - Harry Brook rose six places in the ODI batting rankings after his 202 against Sri Lanka in the ODI tri-series in Pakistan. - Shaheen Shah Afridi climbed two places to sixth in the ODI bowling list, while Azmatullah Omarzai jumped 13 places to seventh after his performances in the UAE tri-series. In the women's rankings, South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt took the No. 1 position in ODI batting from India's Smriti Mandhana, who is now second. Mandhana is fourth in the women's T20I batting list, one place behind her Indian teammate Shafali Verma in third. These rankings shifts highlight the dynamic nature of international cricket and set the stage for exciting matchups in the months to come. Stay tuned for more updates as the series progress.