Marco 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, while India's Abhishek Sharma has reclaimed the No. 1 spot among T20I batters. The update, released on Wednesday, also saw Jansen replace Ravindra Jadeja as the leading Test all-rounder. ### Jansen's Dominance with Ball and Bat Jansen's ascent comes after a stellar performance in the second Test against Australia in Gqeberha. He took 5 for 33 as South Africa bowled the visitors out for 99 in the first innings. But that's not all—he also scored a crucial 85 from No. 8, helping South Africa level the series. Across the first two Tests, Jansen has taken ten wickets. With 876 rating points, Jansen now sits atop the Test bowling list. Mitchell Starc dropped to second, while Matt Henry, Ollie Robinson, and Jasprit Bumrah each fell one place. Bumrah is fifth with 853 points. Starc has taken six wickets in the ongoing third Test, so the order could change again before the series ends. In the all-rounder table, Jansen moved up from second to first, ending Jadeja's run of more than four years at the top. He also gained 13 places in Test batting and now ranks 56th. Simon Harmer climbed 15 places to eighth among all-rounders. > "Jansen's ability to contribute with both bat and ball makes him a rare talent in modern cricket." - Anonymous cricket analyst ### Abhishek Sharma's Explosive Return to the Top Abhishek Sharma's 113 off 38 balls in the third T20I against New Zealand in Wellington on Tuesday was a sight to behold. India chased down 199 and won by six wickets, taking a 3-0 lead in the five-match series. His century came off just 35 balls. That innings lifted him to 897 rating points and moved him past his India teammate Ishan Kishan, who had taken the top spot in July. Pakistan captain Sahibzada Farhan is second with 883 points, while 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 received the Player of the Match award. Scott Boland gained three places to reach sixth among Test bowlers. Brook also rose six places in the ODI batting rankings after scoring 202 against Sri Lanka in the ODI tri-series in Pakistan. In the ODI bowling list, Shaheen Shah Afridi went up two places to sixth, and Azmatullah Omarzai gained 13 places to reach seventh after his performances in the UAE tri-series. The women's rankings also saw changes. 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 highlight the dynamic nature of international cricket and the emergence of new stars. For more cricket news and updates, keep an eye on the latest ICC rankings.