The ICC Test rankings saw significant changes this week. Dhananjaya de Silva excelled in the first Test against Bangladesh, coming close to breaking into the top 10 global batters. His two centuries as Sri Lanka’s new Test captain were instrumental in their massive 328-run victory, elevating his rating to a career-high in the ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings.
Star performers from Sri Lanka’s Sylhet triumph gain big in the latest ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings.
— ICC (@ICC) March 27, 2024
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De Silva’s remarkable performance propelled him up 15 places to 14th overall, thanks to his scores of 102 and 108. His rating points surged to 695, just 40 points shy of breaking into the top 10 Test batsmen worldwide.
As a result of De Silva’s rise, Pakistani batters Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan each dropped one spot in the rankings. Shakeel now occupies 15th place with 693 rating points, while Rizwan is 18th with 668 points. Babar Azam from Pakistan maintains his third position with 768 points, while Kane Williamson from New Zealand leads with 859 points.
Sri Lanka’s success extended to the updated Test bowlers rankings, with Kasun Rajitha making significant gains after taking five wickets in the second innings against Bangladesh. Rajitha climbed six places to 38th, accumulating 515 rating points. His teammates Vishwa Fernando and Lahiru Kumara also saw improvements, with Fernando rising seven spots to 43rd and Kumara moving up six spots to jointly hold 46th.
Rajitha’s ascent pushed Naseem Shah down to 39th with 514 points. Fernando’s move to 43rd with 489 points led to Noman Ali and Abrar Ahmed dropping two spots each to 44th and 45th. Additionally, Aamer Jamal slipped one spot, now sharing 46th with Lahiru Kumara. Shaheen Afridi remains the sole Pakistani bowler in the top ten, maintaining the tenth spot with 733 points.
