South African stars make big gains in latest player rankings
A host of South African players moved up the ladder in the latest player rankings after their recent success in the United Kingdom, with Kagiso Rabada jumping to third on the bowler's chart. India and Pakistan were two other countries that saw their players move around significantly in the rankings.
South Africa produced a clinical performance at the Lord's to register a victory in the first of three Tests against England, having already triumphed emphatically in the limited-overs leg of the tour. Their players have now reaped the rewards for the same in the latest official player rankings published by the International Cricket Council.
The headline has been Kagiso Rabada, who produced a sensational display of pace bowling upon his return from injury to claim five wickets in the first innings of the opening Test at Lord's against England and end up as the man of the match with seven scalps in total. The 27-year-old pacer has now moved two spots to third, dislodging Jasprit Bumrah and Shaheen Afridi to joint fourth. Australian skipper Pat Cummins remains in firm control of the top spot, while ace Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is now only six points clear of Rabada in second.
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Find OutTwo other Proteas players to have made big steps forward are Quinton de Kock and Rassie van der Dussen, with the duo progressing one rank respectively in the ODI batting charts. The latter was instrumental in helping South Africa win the first ODI against England with a brilliant knock of 134. The pair are now placed second and third respectively, pushing down Imam ul Haq to fourth who managed just eight runs in two ODIs against the Dutch.Â
Indian top-order batter Shubman Gill made the biggest progress of all, climbing 93 spots to 38th courtesy of a haul of 245 runs in three ODIs against Zimbabwe, including a maiden international ton. The only other centurion from the series, Sikandar Raza, also rose to 25th in the charts and is on course to end a record year with a flourish. Lastly, Kane Williamson's return to white-ball cricket saw him sat on the cusp of the top-10, claiming the 11th spot on the back of a solid 34 against the West Indies.