Virat Kohli jumps to number 1 in the ICC Test Batsmen Rankings

After a superb 149 and 51 runs in the first test match against England at Edgbaston, India’s test captain Virat Kohli has surpassed Australia’s Steve Smith to number 1 ranked test batsmen in latest ICC test rankings announced today.

The Indian captain Kohli played a lone hand in both innings of the Test match. India was struggling in the first innings at 100 for 5 but Kohli showed his class and helped the visitors post 274 runs just 13 short of England’s first innings total of 287. In the second innings, chasing 194, India again struggled but Kohli almost took India to victory before being dismissed by Ben Stokes for 51 on the 4^th morning.

Kohli became the 7^th Indian batsman and first since Sachin Tendulkar who was at the top of batsmen rankings in June 2011. He also broke the record of best batting rankings achieved by Indians in test cricket after Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid. The Indian captain also achieved the highest rankings by a batsman in One-day internationals this year.

Australia’s Steve Smith who has been banned from international cricket for 1 year has slipped down to number 2.

England’s captain Joe Root, who scored 80 and 14 in the first test match at Edgbaston, remained at number 3 in batsman rankings. New Zealand captain Kane Williamson at number 4.

Australia’s David Warner, who has been banned from international for 1 year, remains at number 5. India’s number 3 batsmen, Pujara not included in the playing XI also stays there at number 6^th.

Sri Lankan batsmen Dimuth Karunaratne and Dinesh Chandimal remained static at number 7 and 8 respectively.

South Africa’s opener Dean Elgar also remains static at number 9. The other opener Aiden Markram completes the top 10 list.

Here we look at the latest ICC Test batsmen rankings

1. Virat Kohli (India)- 934
2. Steve Smith (Australia)- 929
3. Joe Root (England)- 865
4. Kane Williamson (New Zealand)- 847
5. David Warner (Australia)- 820
6. Cheteshwar Pujara (India)- 791
7. Dimuth Karunaratne (Sri Lanka)- 754
8. Dinesh Chandimal (Sri Lanka)- 733
9. Dean Elgar (South Africa)- 724
10. Aiden Markram (South Africa)- 703.