Rishabh Pant becomes India's top-ranked Test batter
Rishabh Pant has overtaken Shubman Gill to become the highest-ranked Indian batter in the latest ICC men's Test rankings, released on August 26.
Pant has jumped six places to No. 7, with 711 rating points, while Gill has remained at No. 8, also on 711 points. Pant's rise follows a productive start to India's Sri Lanka series, including scores of 39 and 66 in the first Test at Galle.
Pant has scored 249 runs in three Tests in 2026, including three fifties, making him one of India's most consistent Test batters this year.
Padikkal is the big riser
Devdutt Padikkal has also made a significant move into the rankings' top 50 after scoring a century in the first Test against Sri Lanka.
His form has been exceptional: he has accumulated 328 runs in only three innings in Tests this year and has scored a hundred in each of his two opportunities against Sri Lanka.
His latest century in Colombo, however, wasn't included in this rankings update, meaning another substantial jump is likely in the next edition.
Jaiswal drops out of top 10
The biggest setback among India's established batters is Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has fallen two places to No. 11.
Jaiswal is yet to score a fifty in Tests in 2026 and had a difficult start to the Sri Lanka series after missing out twice in Galle.
Meanwhile:
Ravindra Jadeja: No. 29
KL Rahul: No. 30
Devdutt Padikkal: now inside the top 50
Jadeja remains No. 1 among Test all-rounders
Top 10 Test batters
| Rank | Batter | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harry Brook 🇬🇧 | 874 |
| 2 | Joe Root 🇬🇧 | 850 |
| 3 | Steve Smith 🇦🇺 | 840 |
| 4 | Travis Head 🇦🇺 | 811 |
| 5 | Temba Bavuma 🇿🇦 | 775 |
| 6 | Rachin Ravindra 🇳🇿 | 740 |
| 7 | Rishabh Pant 🇮🇳 | 711 |
| 8 | Shubman Gill 🇮🇳 | 711 |
| 9 | Daryl Mitchell 🇳🇿 | 710 |
| 10 | Babar Azam 🇵🇰 | 709 |
One interesting detail: Pant and Gill have exactly the same rating points (711), but Pant occupies the higher position in the rankings. With Pant's recent form and Padikkal's latest century still to be reflected, India's batting rankings could look quite different in the next update.
