Joe Root reclaims top spot in Test rankings, Akeal Hosein new no.1 T20I bowler

NEW DELHI: England star batter Joe Root reclaimed the top spot in the ICC Test Batting Rankings, overting compatriot Harry Brook, who spent just one week as the number one batter.
Root, who scored 32 and 54 in the third Test against New Zealand in Hamilton, now leads the rankings with 895 rating points, 19 points ahead of Brook.
New Zealand’s Kane Williamson, after impressive scores of 44 and 156, has closed the gap on the top two.
Other notable risers in the Test batting rankings include Tom Latham (up six places to 31st), Will Young (up 13 places to a career-best 36th), Tom Blundell (up three places to 37th), and Mitchell Santner (up 17 places to 76th).
In the bowling department, New Zealand pacer Matt Henry’s stellar performances, including a six-wicket match haul, propelled him to a career-best seventh position.
Henry’s teammate Will O’Rourke continues his strong start in Test cricket, moving to joint-30th in the rankings, while England’s Gus Atkinson ends his debut year at an impressive 14th position.
Mitchell Santner, who was named Player of the Match in New Zealand’s Hamilton win, also achieved a career-best 39th position after taking seven wickets in the match.
Veteran pacer Tim Southee retires from Test cricket ranked 26th among bowlers.
Southee’s illustrious career included a career-high third position in Tests (achieved in June 2021) and top-10 rankings in white-ball formats, peaking at ninth in ODIs and sixth in T20Is.
In the T20I Rankings, West Indies left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein has claimed the number one spot among bowlers after a brilliant 2-13 performance against Bangladesh in Kingstown. Hosein replaces England’s Adil Rashid, who had held the top position since December 2023.
Bangladesh spinner Mahedi Hasan has made a significant leap, climbing 18 spots to 23rd in the T20I bowling rankings.
South African batter Reeza Hendricks has re-entered the top 10 after scoring a century against Pakistan in Centurion, now sitting at ninth. West Indies’ Rovman Powell (up 10 places to 22nd), Johnson Charles (up six places to 19th), and Pakistan’s Babar Azam (up one spot to sixth) have also made strides in the batting rankings.