Stuart Broad’s superb display with the ball during England’s Test against Ireland has propelled him back into the top 10 of the MRF Tyres Test Bowling Rankings. Broad claimed six wickets in the match, taking 5/51 in the first innings and 1/62 in the second innings. This impressive performance has elevated him two places to 10th position, joining his teammates James Anderson (2nd) and Ollie Robinson (7th) in the top 10.
Although Broad briefly entered the top 10 earlier this year during the New Zealand tour, he has spent most of the World Test Championship cycle outside this elite group. The 36-year-old bowler showcased his skills by delivering a significant number of overs (31.2) in the Test against Ireland, demonstrating his readiness for the upcoming home Ashes series, commencing on June 16.
While England’s victory in the one-off Test featured commendable performances with the ball, it was the batsmen who experienced notable jumps in the rankings. Ollie Pope, who celebrated a double century, climbed 10 places to 23rd position, earning a rating of 637. Ben Duckett, another centurion in the match, rose eight spots to 34th position with a rating of 602.
Ireland’s resistance with the bat resulted in several players making significant strides in the rankings. Andy McBrine, who scored an unbeaten 86, soared 28 places to reach 282 points. Mark Adair’s impressive knock of 88 not out led to a leap of 32 spots in the rankings.
Looking ahead to the World Test Championship Final at The Oval, the top-ranked Test players in each discipline are expected to feature prominently, with several players having the opportunity to climb higher. Marnus Labuschagne of Australia holds the top spot in the batting rankings, followed by his teammate Steve Smith in third position. Rohit Sharma, the Indian captain, is the highest-ranked batter from his side in 11th position and has a chance to re-enter the top 10. Virat Kohli is just two spots behind Sharma and could move up with a strong performance in the final.
In the bowling department, Ravichandran Ashwin leads the rankings, closely pursued by Australian captain Pat Cummins in third position. Ravindra Jadeja and Ashwin occupy the top two positions in the All-Rounder rankings, while Mitchell Starc is the highest-ranked all-rounder from Australia in eighth position.
The recent bilateral series in UAE and Sri Lanka have also resulted in notable changes in the ODI Player Rankings. Sri Lanka’s Dhananjaya de Silva moved up three spots to ninth position in the All-Rounder rankings, edging his teammate Wanindu Hasaranga. Meanwhile, Ibrahim Zadran from Afghanistan climbed 20 spots to a career-high 24th position in the batting rankings, courtesy of his scores of 98 and 54 in the series.
As the West Indies and UAE prepare for the Cricket World Cup Qualifier with their series in Dubai, there have been fewer significant movements in the rankings. However, Brandon King’s impressive performances with the bat, scoring 112 and 64, resulted in a jump of 29 places in the batting rankings. Keemo Paul made a notable return with a 17-spot rise in the bowling rankings, while Odean Smith and Yannic Cariah also saw improvements of 14 and 39 spots, respectively.