Lagatar24 Desk
Dubai, Jan 5: Indian opener KL Rahul has made a huge gain of 18 slots to reach 31st position among batters in the ICC Men’s Test player Rankings. He gain this position after his Player of the Match performance in Centurion, which helped India overcome South Africa by 113 runs to grab a 1-0 lead in the three-match ICC World Test Championship series.
Rahul, whose highest ranking in the format is eighth, scored 123 in the first innings and shared an important 117-run opening partnership with Mayank Agrawal (60) as India became the first Asian team to win a Test match at the venue, gaining valuable points in the WTC points table powered by MRF Tyres.
Indian batsmen Agarwal has moved up one spot. while Ajinkya Rahane is up two places to 25th in the latest update that is carried out on Wednesdays and includes all matches that are completed by Tuesday each week.
Other Indians who have risen in the rankings are fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami. Bumrah has moved up three places to ninth after taking five wickets in the match, while Shami has moved up two places to 17th after taking eight wickets, including a five-for in the first innings.
🔺 Jasprit Bumrah into the top 10
🔺 Kagiso Rabada surges upThe pace duo make gains in the latest @MRFWorldwide ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings for bowling 📈
Details 👉 https://t.co/VkBay1CqRn pic.twitter.com/uw0uOgRDQP
— ICC (@ICC) January 5, 2022
Meanwhile, Indian skipper Virat Kohli has dropped two slots and he is now in the ninth spot in the rankings. Rohit Sharma is static at the fifth spot in the ranking table.
South Africa’s skipper and opener Dean Elgar has moved up two places to 14th place after a valiant 77 in the second innings, while Temba Bavuma has moved up 16 places to 39th place after scores of 52 and 35 not out.
Kagiso Rabada has moved up one spot to sixth place after taking seven wickets, while fellow fast bowler Lungi Ngidi has climbed 16 places to 30th place after taking eight wickets in the match. Debutant left-arm fast bowler Marco Jensen entered the rankings in 97th position.
