Afghanistan captain Rahmat Shah has created history by becoming the first player from his country to enter the top 10 in any category of the ICC Men's Test Player Rankings. The 33-year-old climbed six spots to seventh among Test batters in the latest rankings update, published on 11 November, after his superb innings of 173 in the opening match of Afghanistan's two-game series with Zimbabwe in Sharjah.
It is a landmark moment for Afghanistan cricket. No player from the country had ever broken into the top 10 of a Test rankings list before, and Rahmat's rise — to a new career-high rating — puts him ahead of some of the biggest names in the modern game, including India captain Shubman Gill, South Africa opener Aiden Markram and Sri Lanka left-hander Kamindu Mendis.
The innings that did it
Rahmat's 173 came in the first Test at Sharjah, a match that ended in a record-breaking draw after both sides piled up huge first-innings totals. It was his fifth Test century and his second of the year, and it anchored an Afghanistan innings that set up the drawn game.
The knock was exactly the kind of long, disciplined innings that Test rankings reward, and it lifted Rahmat from outside the top 10 straight into seventh place. For a batter who has carried Afghanistan's red-ball batting for years, it is recognition that has been a long time coming.
A good fortnight for Afghanistan
Rahmat's milestone caps off a fine fortnight for Afghanistan. Earlier this month, the team achieved their highest-ever spot on the ICC Men's ODI Team Rankings, rising to sixth on the back of a tri-series triumph over Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.
The two achievements together tell the story of a side that is no longer just a white-ball threat. Afghanistan are now making their mark in Test cricket too, and Rahmat's place in the top 10 is the clearest sign yet of how far their red-ball game has come.
Ervine climbs after his double-century
Rahmat was not the only player to make gains from the drawn Test in Sharjah. Zimbabwe veteran Craig Ervine also climbed the rankings after his unbeaten double-century in the second innings, jumping up nine spots to 48th.
Ervine's 206 not out was the standout innings of the match, and it helped Zimbabwe pile up 523 for 5 in their second innings — part of a game in which Zimbabwe became the first team ever to score 500 or more in both innings of a Test. The 41-year-old's effort was one of the great rearguard knocks of the year, and the rankings have duly recognised it.
Movers from the Bangladesh–West Indies series
The conclusion of the World Test Championship series between Bangladesh and the West Indies also saw players from both sides make eye-catching progress in the batting rankings. Kavem Hodge rose 12 places to 52nd after his Player of the Series performances, Towhid Hridoy climbed from outside the top 100 to 60th, and Amir Jangoo jumped 28 rungs to 62nd.
There was also a new career-high rating for Jomel Warrican, who rose 11 spots to equal 19th among Test bowlers after his Player of the Series heroics for the Caribbean side. Warrican also gained four places to improve to 31st on the list for Test all-rounders, while his teammate Justin Greaves moved up one place to equal eighth among Test all-rounders.
India's bowlers climb in the ODI rankings
There were also changes on the latest ODI rankings after the first two matches of the ODI series between New Zealand and India, and it is good news for a trio of India bowlers with less than 12 months to go until the start of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
All-rounder spinner Axar Patel rose 23 spots to 21st overall on the list for ODI bowlers, on the back of his spell of 2 for 28 in the second match of the series in Wellington. Fellow left-armer Arshdeep Singh gained 11 slots to move to equal 31st following a four-wicket haul in the series opener in Auckland.
India pacer Gurnoor Brar is the leading wicket-taker of the series so far with seven scalps, and the right-armer rose from outside the top 100 to 48th on the list for ODI bowlers. There was good news for a pair of New Zealand seamers too, with Jacob Duffy up eight slots to equal 43rd and Kyle Jamieson up 24 rungs to 60th.
Rankings movers at a glance
Rahmat Shah's climb to seventh in the ICC Men's Test batting rankings is the headline of the latest update, published on 11 November 2026 — the first time any Afghanistan player has entered the top 10 of a Test rankings category. His 173 against Zimbabwe in Sharjah, his fifth Test century, took him past Shubman Gill, Aiden Markram and Kamindu Mendis. Craig Ervine rose nine places to 48th after his unbeaten 206, while in the ODI bowling rankings Axar Patel climbed 23 spots to 21st, Arshdeep Singh 11 to equal 31st, and Gurnoor Brar from outside the top 100 to 48th.
FAQs
Who is the first Afghanistan player in the ICC Test top 10?
Rahmat Shah is the first player from Afghanistan to enter the top 10 in any category of the ICC Men's Test Player Rankings, reaching seventh among Test batters in the update published on 11 November 2026.
What innings took Rahmat Shah into the top 10?
His 173 against Zimbabwe in the first Test at Sharjah — his fifth Test century and his second of 2026 — lifted him six places to seventh with a new career-high rating.
How did Craig Ervine do in the rankings?
Craig Ervine jumped nine spots to 48th among Test batters after his unbeaten double-century (206 not out) in the second innings of the drawn Sharjah Test.
What is Afghanistan's highest-ever ODI team ranking?
Afghanistan rose to sixth on the ICC Men's ODI Team Rankings earlier in November 2026 — their highest-ever spot — after a tri-series triumph over Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.
Which India bowlers climbed the ODI rankings?
Axar Patel rose 23 spots to 21st, Arshdeep Singh gained 11 slots to equal 31st, and Gurnoor Brar climbed from outside the top 100 to 48th after the first two ODIs against New Zealand.
Conclusion
Rahmat Shah's name in the top 10 of the Test batting rankings is a milestone that belongs to all of Afghanistan cricket. It is the reward for years of carrying his country's red-ball batting, and it arrives in the same month that Afghanistan reached their highest-ever ODI team ranking. With Ervine's double-century also recognised and a new generation of bowlers climbing the ODI lists, the latest rankings update is a reminder of how quickly the game's map is changing — and Rahmat Shah, at 33, is now officially one of the ten best Test batters in the world.
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Sources:
ICC — Historic first for Afghanistan batter after rankings update