Rohit Sharma joins Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir in elite ICC rankings list

The International Cricket Council’s latest rankings were released on Wednesday and Indian batting heavyweight Rohit Sharma has stormed his way into the top 10 of the Test rankings after a stupendously successful home series against South Africa.

Rohit, who opened the innings in red ball cricket for the first time in the series, amasses 529 runs and at average in excess of 130 in the three-match series. He scored back to back centuries in both the innings of the first Test in Vizag and followed it up with a career best 212 in the last Test in Ranchi. His player of the series effort helped him make huge strides from 44th place before the series.

ALSO READ: Rohit Sharma storms into top 10, Ajinkya Rahane joins Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara in top 5

His superlative form in limited overs cricket means he continues to be in the top 10 in ODIs (2nd) and T20Is (7th), both being his career-high rank. His latest entry in the top 10 of Test cricket rankings means he is now just the third Indian batsman after Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir to have been in the top 10 across all three formats.

Kohli has been number one in all three formats while Gambhir has been at the top in Tests and T20Is and eighth in ODIs.

Meanwhile, Ajinkya Rahane’s knock of 116 in Ranchi has helped him equal his career-high rank of fifth place, achieved earlier in November 2016. He remains the third-best Indian batsman in terms of Test rankings after Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara. With Mayanka Agarwal in 18th position, India have finished the series with five batsmen in the top 20.

ALSO READ: Sourav Ganguly officially takes charge as 39th BCCI president

Fast bowlers Mohammad Shami and Umesh Yadav have ended the series with their highest-ever rating points tally. Shami is on 751 points and only one place below his career-best ranking of 14th achieved in March 2018, while Yadav is on 624 points, three below his best of 21st in July 2016.