Dubai: Kagiso Rabada has become the No. 1 ranked bowler in the MRF Tyres ICC Test Player Rankings after helping South Africa to an exciting 72 run victory over India in the first Test at Newlands on Monday.
Rabada, who was one of the stars in South Africa’s successful campaign in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup in the UAE in 2014, returned figures of three for 34 and two for 41 against a star-studded India batting line-up.
A delighted Rabada said: “It’s special to be ranked as the No. 1 Test bowler in the world. It is a surreal feeling. It’s what you dream of achieving when you start playing the game.
“Cricket is ultimately a team sport and I’m thankful for the support from my team mates. It’s a great start to the year personally and for us as a team, hopefully we can continue putting in winning performances.”
Rabada is the seventh South Africa bowler to top the ICC Test Bowling Rankings after Aubrey Faulkner, Hugh Tayfield, Peter Pollock, Shaun Pollock, Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander.
Outside the top-20, India’s Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Pat Cummins of Australia have achieved career-high rankings. Kumar has vaulted eight places to 22nd following figures of four for 87 and two for 33, while Cummins has leapt eight places and is now in 28th position after match figures of eight for 119, which also earned him the Player of the Match award.
In the MRF Tyres ICC Player Rankings for Test Batsmen, Australia’s Steve Smith is unchanged on 947 points in first position, but there is some movement just behind him.
