ICC rankings reshuffle: modest Proteas movement amid global heavyweights’ dominance

SOUTH African cricket supporters woke up to a mixed bag this week as the latest ICC rankings shuffled after recent series and Tests. There’s comfort in a few individual gains by certain Proteas players, but the broader picture shows that all top teams have players who are in impressive form.

In the one-day world, the biggest talking point was India’s Virat Kohli moving up two places to second in the ODI batting rankings – he’s now just eight points shy of Rohit Sharma, who remains at number one. 

Kohli’s climb was powered by his stunning ODI series against South Africa, where scores of 135, 102 and an unbeaten 65 – a 302-run haul that earned him Player of the Series – did the heavy lifting.

On the bowling front, India’s Kuldeep Yadav made a mark with his four for 41 in the decisive third ODI – a performance that saw him climb three places to third among ODI bowlers.

For Proteas fans, the good news in the ODIs was quieter but welcome. 

Aiden Markram’s century lifted him up to 25th in the batting table, and Quinton de Kock’s own hundred nudged him into 13th. Captain Temba Bavuma also moved, rising three places to 37th.

Tests had its shuffles

Test cricket produced its usual reshuffle of heroes as well as some nosedives. 

Joe Root retained top spot among Test batters with 781 rating points, while Harry Brook slipped two places to fourth as Kane Williamson (827) and Steve Smith (823) held the second and third slots. 

Several players further down the order made eye-catching advances after the Brisbane Test: Mitchell Starc’s 77 moved him up 12 places to 90th among batters, and Jake Weatherald’s knocks propelled him 75 places into a tie at 106th. Zak Crawley re-entered the top 50 with a 76, while Jamie Smith dropped 12 places to 31st.

There were also notable shifts tied to remarkable individual innings elsewhere. West Indies’ Justin Greaves’ unbeaten double-century in Christchurch surged him 16 places to a career-best 60th, and Shai Hope’s 140 lifted him 19 spots to 48th. 

New Zealand’s Tom Latham’s 145 earned him a six-place boost to 34th. 

On the bowling side, Aussie Mitchell Starc’s six-for in the Ashes pushed him up three places to a career-best third; he also gained ground among all-rounders. Compatriot Michael Neser re-entered the bowling charts at 52 after a five-wicket haul, while NZ’s Jacob Duffy vaulted 76 places to joint-63rd.

Cuttack massacre influences T20 rankings

T20 rankings reflected the headline result from Cuttack, where India thumped South Africa by 101 runs. 

Dewald Brevis benefited, moving three places into the top 10 of T20 batters at eighth after his 22. India’s all-round and bowling stocks also rose: Hardik Pandya advanced three places to fourth among all-rounders; Axar Patel inched to ninth in all-rounders (and to 13th among bowlers); Arshdeep Singh climbed three places to 20th among T20 bowlers; and Jasprit Bumrah jumped six places to 25th.

For South African supporters, the rankings offer both solace and a reality check. 

A handful of Proteas have edged forward, but the competition’s heavy hitters – Kohli, Rohit and several others – remain entrenched near the top. 

If fans want the national side to climb those same lists, the message is clear: consistency and bigger collective performances must follow the individual flashes of form.