On December 4, the ICC updated its weekly rankings, reflecting changes following recent intense red-ball matches in the World Test Championship. While some players reaped rewards for their performances, others, like Virat Kohli, faced a decline.
Virat Kohli, who had moved up to 14th place after scoring a century in Perth, slipped one spot to 15th. Indian players overall saw a slight slump, with Yashasvi Jaiswal dropping two places to 4th. Despite Kohli’s century, he couldn’t maintain his momentum, while younger players like Harry Brook surged. Brook’s century against New Zealand lifted him to 2nd place, just behind his teammate Joe Root, who retains the top spot.
The biggest change came from South Africa’s Temba Bavuma, who made a remarkable jump of 14 places. Bavuma scored 113 in the first innings and followed it with a fifty, pushing him into the top 10. He now occupies 10th place, five spots ahead of Kohli.
In the bowling rankings, India’s Jasprit Bumrah remains the No. 1 Test bowler. Ravindra Jadeja moved up one place to 6th, while South Africa’s Marco Jansen made a significant leap, rising 19 spots to 9th after taking 11 wickets in the first Test against Sri Lanka. Ravichandran Ashwin, who missed the first Test against Australia, stays in 4th place. It remains to be seen whether Ashwin and Jadeja will feature in the second Test.
These updates highlight the dynamic nature of the rankings, where strong performances can elevate players, while slumps can see others drop down the list.
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