Dubai, August 26, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc has become the new No. 1 in the latest ICC Test Bowler Rankings, displacing India’s Jasprit Bumrah from the top spot, while Rishabh Pant made a significant jump to joint seventh among Test batters.
Starc’s rise followed a match-winning performance against Bangladesh in the second Test at Mackay, where the left-arm pacer claimed 10 wickets. The 36-year-old climbed two places to move ahead of Bumrah and New Zealand’s Matt Henry and secure the top ranking for the first time in his 15-year Test career.
Bumrah, who first reached the No. 1 position in February 2024 and had occupied the top spot for much of the subsequent two years, slipped to second. Henry dropped to third.
Bumrah’s absence from India’s ongoing ICC World Test Championship series against Sri Lanka, coupled with Starc’s Player of the Series-winning display against Bangladesh, contributed to the change at the summit.
Among the other Australian bowlers, captain Pat Cummins moved up one place to fourth after taking six wickets against Bangladesh, while Nathan Lyon climbed two spots to 10th.
Pant was the biggest mover in the top 10 of the Test batting rankings. The India wicketkeeper-batter jumped six places to joint seventh following a quick half-century in the second innings of India’s victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test at Galle.
England’s Harry Brook and Joe Root retained the first two positions among batters, with Australia’s Steve Smith and Travis Head occupying third and fourth respectively. India’s KL Rahul also gained five places to reach 30th.
Elsewhere, Australia all-rounder Cameron Green rose nine places to 21st, Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva moved up two spots to joint 22nd and Pakistan’s Abdullah Shafique climbed seven places to joint 27th.
England bowlers Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue made substantial gains after their match-winning performances against Pakistan in the first Test at Headingley. The pair took 16 wickets between them, with Robinson rising 15 places to 11th and Tongue climbing 16 spots to 17th.
The Test all-rounder rankings remained unchanged at the top, with India’s Ravindra Jadeja retaining the No. 1 position. Cummins moved up to seventh, Green rose one place to joint 17th, while Robinson climbed five spots to 23rd.
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