Kagiso Rabada pips Ashwin, Bumrah to move into pole position in ICC ranking

South Africa pace bowler Kagiso Rabada regained the number one position in ICC Men’s Test Bowling Rankings after finishing with nine wickets in the first of their series against Bangladesh in Mirpur.

“The 29-year-old, who became the fastest to 300 Test wickets on the first day of the Test, has overtaken R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah and Josh Hazlewood to take the top spot after helping his team win the match by seven wickets,” said a statement from the International Cricket Council (ICC).

"Rabada had first topped the rankings after the Newlands Test against India in January 2018 and held the top spot for much of the next 12 months.”

In the latest weekly rankings update, left-arm spinners Noman Ali of Pakistan and Mitchel Santner of New Zealand have also made huge progress following their performances against England and India respectively.

Noman is in the top 10 for the first time, moving up eight slots to ninth position after finishing with nine wickets in Rawalpindi as Pakistan won by nine wickets to clinch the WTC series 2-1.

Santner, whose haul of 13 for 157 in the 113-run victory in Pune is the third-best by a New Zealand bowler after Richard Hadlee’s 15 for 123 and Ajaz Patel’s 14 for 224, has progressed 30 slots to 44th position, five places off his career-best 39th position attained in January 2017.

Other bowlers to advance include Bangladesh’s Taijul Islam (up three places to 18th), England’s Gus Atkinson (up two places to 22nd), Pakistan’s Sajid Khan (up 12 places to 38th) and South Africa’s Wiaan Mulder (up nine places to 50th).

“In the batting rankings, India opener Yashaswi Jaiswal is back at number three after scores of 30 and 77 while other left-handers Saud Shakeel of Pakistan and Rachin Ravindra of New Zealand have moved into the top 10 for the first time in their careers,” said the statement.

Shakeel has advanced 20 slots to reach seventh position after his knock of 134 won him the Player of the Match award while Ravindra is up eight places to 10th with a useful half-century in the first innings.

New Zealanders Devon Conway (up eight places to 28th), Tom Latham (up six places to 34th) and Glenn Phillips (up 16 places to 45th), England’s Jamie Smith (up seven places to 37th), Pakistan captain Shan Masood (up five places to 57th) and Bangladesh’s Mehidy Hasan Miraz (up nine places to 63rd) are other significant gainers in the batting rankings.

Mehidy has also moved up two places to third position in the all-rounders’ list, while India’s Washington Sundar has re-entered the rankings in 53rd position among bowlers, 84th among batters and 25th among all-rounders.

Kagiso Rabada, South Africa cricket, Proteas, ICC, Jasprit Bumrah, R Ashwin