Abhishek Reclaims T20I Top Spot as Jansen Leads Two Test Rankings

Abhishek Sharma needed just 35 balls to reach a century in Wellington, then finished with 113 from 38 deliveries. The India batter’s innings helped his side beat New Zealand by six wickets and win the series. The latest ICC rankings put him back at No. 1 among T20I batters, after one extraordinary night at the crease. ^1,2

That No. 1 spot had belonged to teammate Ishan Kishan, who took it from Sharma in July after strong performances in Ireland. Sharma first reached the top in July 2025, passing Australia’s Travis Head. The rankings update also brought a major change in Test cricket: South Africa’s Marco Jansen became No. 1 in both the bowling and all-rounder rankings for the first time. He scored 85 and took five wickets in Australia’s first innings during South Africa’s win in Gqeberha. ^2,3

Jansen’s five-wicket haul helped him climb five places and pass Australia’s Mitchell Starc as the top Test bowler. His gains with the bat and ball also ended India’s Ravindra Jadeja’s more-than-four-year run at the top of the Test all-rounder list. Jansen rose one place to take that spot and climbed 13 places to 56th among Test batters. The update shows how one strong Test can move a player up several lists, while Sharma’s return shows how quickly the T20I lead can change. ^2,9

Sharma’s return does not settle the contest for long: Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan moved to second in the T20I batting rankings, while Kishan fell to third. Other India and New Zealand players also rose, including Sanju Samson, now 20th, and Finn Allen, now 25th. The rankings are based on players’ recent performances, so the next matches will shape the next update. India’s five-match series against New Zealand is ongoing, with India already leading 3-0. ^4,6