Marco Jansen has become the No. 1 ranked Test bowler and all-rounder, while Abhishek Sharma has reclaimed the top spot among T20I batters in a big week of changes to the men’s player rankings.
Jansen earns top billing in two categories for the first time in his career. He achieved the feat after a standout performance for the Proteas in their comprehensive victory over Australia in the second Test of the World Test Championship in Gqeberha. The left-armer contributed 85 runs with the bat and produced a match-turning five-wicket haul in the visitors’ first innings.
Jansen rises in all three disciplines
Jansen made ground in all three ranking disciplines. The 26-year-old climbed 13 spots to 56th among Test batters. He moved up five places to overtake Mitchell Starc as the No. 1 Test bowler, and he jumped one rung to end the reign of India’s Ravindra Jadeja as the top-ranked Test all-rounder.
Jadeja had held that mantle for more than four years. Jansen’s rise comes shortly after former South Africa great Dale Steyn called him “the best cricketer in the world”.
Abhishek returns to the summit
Abhishek’s return to the top was arguably more expected. The India left-hander reclaimed the No. 1 spot for T20I batters after his quickfire century against New Zealand in Wellington, the third match of the series, on Tuesday. He reached three figures in just 35 balls and finished with 113 from 38 deliveries as India cruised to a series-clinching six-wicket victory.
The innings enabled Abhishek to displace teammate Ishan Kishan, who had taken the premier position from him in July following some decent efforts in Ireland. Abhishek first reached the No. 1 spot in July 2025, when he overtook Australia’s Travis Head.
Bavuma and other big movers
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma also made significant gains. He jumped four spots to second among Test batters after his Player of the Match display against Australia in the second Test. Bavuma hit a sensational 179 in the first innings as the Proteas levelled the three-match series at 1-1. Only England captain Harry Brook is now ahead of him in the Test batting rankings.
Among Test bowlers, Australia pacer Scott Boland rose three rungs to sixth. South Africa spinner Simon Harmer climbed 15 spots to eighth among Test all-rounders, a list now headed by Jansen.
Teammate Sanju Samson rose six spots to 20th among T20I batters, while New Zealand power hitter Finn Allen moved up three rungs to 25th. In the T20I bowling rankings, Mitchell Santner climbed seven slots to seventh and Arshdeep Singh rose six places to 15th.
One-day rankings shift
There were also changes in the ODI rankings as the tri-series between hosts Pakistan, England and Sri Lanka continues. Ben Duckett and Brook were among the improvers among ODI batters.
Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi rose two spots to sixth among ODI bowlers. Afghanistan seamer Azmatullah Omarzai jumped 13 places to seventh, and Namibia spinner Bernard Scholtz climbed nine slots to eighth, all making ground inside the top 10. Veteran Mohammad Nabi jumped five spots to third among ODI all-rounders.