File photo of Rohit Sharma© AFP
Indian captain Rohit Sharma has seen a dramatic decline in his ICC Test batting ranking, dropping to his lowest position since December 2018 in the latest ICC update on Wednesday. This update brought notable changes across the rankings, with one of the most striking shifts being Sharma’s nine-place drop from 15th to 24th, according to Wisden. This marks his lowest ranking in nearly six years. Previously, he had fallen to 44th after scoring 63 not out and 5 against Australia in Melbourne in December 2018.
Sharma’s form saw a significant boost following his twin centuries (176 and 127) against South Africa in October 2019, elevating him to 17th in the rankings. Since then, the lowest he had slipped was to 23rd in February 2021 after scores of 6 and 12 against England. From February 27, 2021, to February 21, 2023, Sharma consistently remained in the top ten, reaching a career-high rating of 813 and ranking as the fifth-best Test batter globally in September 2021.
Currently, Sharma’s rating has dropped to 649, his lowest since February 2021 when it stood at 626. His recent poor performances in home matches against Bangladesh and New Zealand have contributed to this decline. In the Bengaluru Test against New Zealand, he managed scores of only 2 and 52, followed by 0 and 8 in Pune, leading to India’s first home Test series defeat in 12 years.
Other Indian players also experienced ranking drops. Virat Kohli fell six places to 14th, while Rishabh Pant slipped five spots to 11th.
Additionally, Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah lost his No. 1 ranking among bowlers to South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada. Pakistan spinner Nauman Ali entered the top ten among bowlers.
On a positive note, Pakistan’s Saud Shakeel surged 20 places to reach 7th in the batting rankings, and Rachin Ravindra moved into 10th. India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal gained one spot, moving into third place, displacing Harry Brook.
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