ICC Rankings: Ishan Kishan dethrones Abhishek Sharma as No.1 T20I batter; Travis Head tops Tests
Synopsis
Ishan Kishan's T20 World Cup brilliance — 317 runs at a strike rate near 200 — has finally translated into the No.1 T20I ranking, making him only the fourth Indian men's batter to reach the summit. On the same day, Travis Head claimed the top Test batting spot for the first time, while Bumrah quietly reclaimed his No.1 Test bowling crown. A landmark day for cricket rankings across formats.
Key Takeaways
Ishan Kishan became the No.1 T20I batter in the world in the ICC rankings update on 1 July 2025 , ending Abhishek Sharma's near 12-month reign.
Kishan is only the fourth Indian men's batter to top the T20I rankings, joining Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav .
His rise was fuelled by 317 runs at a strike rate of nearly 200 at the ICC T20 World Cup, including a Player of the Match knock vs Pakistan .
Travis Head of Australia reached No.1 in Test batting for the first time, with Harry Brook dropping to second and Joe Root falling to third.
Jasprit Bumrah regained sole possession of the No.1 Test bowling ranking after Matt Henry slipped to second.
Devon Conway made the biggest single move, surging 14 places to equal 15th in Test batting after New Zealand's win at Trent Bridge .
Ishan Kishan has dethroned teammate Abhishek Sharma to claim the No.1 ranking among T20I batters in the latest ICC Player Rankings update released on Wednesday, 1 July 2025, ending Abhishek's near year-long reign at the summit. In a separate landmark, Australia's Travis Head ascended to the No.1 position among Test batters for the first time in his career, displacing England's Harry Brook.
Kishan's Rise to the Summit
The left-handed wicketkeeper-batter reached a new career-best rating, propelled primarily by a dominant run at the ICC T20 World Cup earlier this year. Kishan amassed 317 runs at a strike rate of nearly 200 during the tournament, including a Player of the Match performance against Pakistan in Colombo. The rankings update followed India's 2-0 T20I series defeat to Ireland in Belfast.
Abhishek, who had held the top spot for almost 12 months, now trails Kishan by just seven rating points. With this achievement, Kishan joins an elite group — alongside Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav — as only the fourth Indian men's batter to reach No.1 in T20I cricket.
Other T20I Movers
Ireland's performances in the series against India produced notable gains. Captain Lorcan Tucker jumped four places to equal 77th in T20I batting, while Ross Adair climbed six spots to 84th. Seamer Matthew Humphreys moved up one place to 25th in T20I bowling after claiming four wickets in the series, earning a career-best rating. In the T20I all-rounders' table, India's Shivam Dube rose three places to seventh, while Ireland's Gareth Delany and Harry Tector climbed to 24th and 38th respectively.
Head Leads Test Shake-Up
Travis Head replaced Harry Brook at the top of the Test batting rankings after Brook and Joe Root endured modest returns in the Nottingham Test against New Zealand. Brook slipped to second, while Root dropped two places to third. Meanwhile, India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah regained sole possession of the No.1 ranking among Test bowlers after New Zealand's Matt Henry slipped to second.
New Zealand Batters Surge After Trent Bridge Win
New Zealand's victory over England at Trent Bridge yielded significant gains across their batting order. Rachin Ravindra climbed two places to seventh, Daryl Mitchell advanced five spots to 11th, Devon Conway surged 14 places to equal 15th, and Tom Latham rose 12 places to equal 31st. Pacer Nathan Smith improved eight places to 38th in Test bowling. England captain Ben Stokes moved up two places to finish his international career at No.3 among Test all-rounders following his mid-match retirement.
West Indies Rewarded for Sri Lanka Win
Fast bowlers Shamar Joseph and Kemar Roach were rewarded for their roles in West Indies' victory over Sri Lanka in Antigua. Joseph climbed nine places to equal 14th in Test bowling, while Roach rose four spots to 17th.
With the T20I and Test landscapes reshuffled simultaneously, the coming weeks of international cricket will be critical in determining whether these new rankings leaders can consolidate their positions.
Point of View
Head's rise reflects England's vulnerability at the top of the order — Brook and Root both faltered in Nottingham, and that fragility is now visible in the numbers. Bumrah reclaiming sole No.1 in Test bowling, almost quietly amid the batting headlines, is arguably the most durable of these shifts.
NationPress
1 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Ishan Kishan become the No.1 T20I batter in ICC rankings?
Ishan Kishan reached a career-best rating following his outstanding ICC T20 World Cup campaign, where he scored 317 runs at a strike rate of nearly 200, including a Player of the Match performance against Pakistan in Colombo. The rankings were updated on 1 July 2025 after India's 2-0 T20I series defeat to Ireland in Belfast.
Who did Ishan Kishan replace as No.1 T20I batter?
Kishan replaced his India teammate Abhishek Sharma, who had held the top spot for almost 12 months. Abhishek now trails Kishan by just seven rating points.
Is Ishan Kishan the first Indian to be No.1 in T20I batting?
No. Kishan is the fourth Indian men's batter to reach the No.1 T20I ranking, joining Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav in that elite group.
How did Travis Head become the No.1 Test batter?
Travis Head of Australia claimed the top Test batting ranking for the first time in his career after Harry Brook and Joe Root had modest returns in the Nottingham Test against New Zealand. Brook dropped to second and Root fell to third.
What happened to Jasprit Bumrah's Test bowling ranking?
Jasprit Bumrah regained sole possession of the No.1 Test bowling ranking after New Zealand's Matt Henry slipped to second following the Trent Bridge Test.
