South African pacer Kagiso Rabada has climbed to the top of the ICC Test bowling rankings. His rise to the number one spot follows a stellar performance in the first Test against Bangladesh, where he took nine wickets and has been in excellent form this year, claiming 18 wickets in seven innings.
Rabada has now overtaken Jasprit Bumrah to claim the top position after a remarkable nine-wicket haul against Bangladesh in the first Test, which South Africa won decisively. Meanwhile, Bumrah has dropped two spots to third, having failed to take any wickets in the second Test against New Zealand in Pune.
Bumrah recently reclaimed the top rank following an impressive performance in the Bangladesh series, where he took 11 wickets alongside Ashwin. However, the duo couldn’t replicate their success in the current series against New Zealand, managing only three and six wickets respectively, with averages exceeding 40. Notably, Ashwin has also fallen two places to fourth despite taking five wickets against the Kiwis, while his bowling partner, Ravindra Jadeja, has dropped two spots to eighth.
In addition, Pakistan’s Noman Ali made significant gains, entering the top 10 at a career-high ranking following his standout nine-wicket performance in Rawalpindi against England, lifting him eight places to ninth. Fellow Pakistan spinner Sajid Khan also achieved a career-best rating, climbing 12 spots to 38th after claiming 10 wickets.
