Afghanistan skipper Rahmat Shah has entered the history books after becoming the first player from his country to secure a place among the top 10 in any category of the ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings.
His outstanding performance against Zimbabwe in Sharjah propelled him six places higher to seventh in the batting standings.
The 33-year-old accumulated 173 runs in the series opener, recording his highest-ever career rating and surpassing established batters such as India’s Shubman Gill, South Africa’s Aiden Markram and Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis.
The innings marked Rahmat’s fifth Test century and his second hundred of the calendar year.
Afghanistan has also strengthened its position in international cricket by reaching a historic sixth place in the ICC Men’s ODI Team Rankings after winning a tri-series featuring Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.
Zimbabwe’s Craig Ervine enjoyed a significant improvement in the latest rankings, gaining nine positions to occupy 48th place.
His unbeaten double-century in the second innings helped secure a draw in Sharjah.
West Indies spinner Jomel Warrican climbed 11 places to share 19th position among Test bowlers following his Player of the Series performance against Bangladesh.
His teammate Justin Greaves moved one position higher to share eighth place in the Test all-rounders’ rankings.
The opening two matches of the India-New Zealand series brought several changes to the ODI standings.
India’s Axar Patel climbed 23 places to 21st among bowlers after returning figures of 2/28 in Wellington.
Arshdeep Singh also improved his standing, moving up 11 positions to share 31st place following his four-wicket performance in Auckland.
Gurnoor Brar recorded an impressive rise to 48th from outside the top 100 after claiming seven wickets in the series.
New Zealand bowlers Jacob Duffy and Kyle Jamieson also advanced to 43rd and 60th, respectively.
Also Read: Hardik-Arshdeep Mega Trade Finally Done! Mumbai Indians And Punjab Kings Seal IPL 2027 Deal
To read more such news, download Bharat Express news apps
