The latest ICC rankings, released on Wednesday, 20 August, have brought good news for some players while others faced setbacks. Jasprit Bumrah continues to dominate the Test bowling charts, whereas South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj has climbed to the top spot in ODIs.
Meanwhile, India’s Kuldeep Yadav has slipped a place in the rankings.
Bumrah still king in Tests
Jasprit Bumrah has maintained his stronghold in the ICC Test bowling rankings. Despite featuring in only 3 out of 5 Tests against England due to workload management, Bumrah showcased his brilliance by picking up 14 wickets. With 889 rating points, he remains the world’s No. 1 Test bowler.
Keshav Maharaj grabs ODI No. 1 spot
South African spinner Keshav Maharaj produced a game-changing spell against Australia, where he claimed a five-wicket haul in the opening ODI. This performance helped him leapfrog both Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana and India’s Kuldeep Yadav to seize the No. 1 position in ICC’s ODI bowling rankings.
Maharaj now holds 687 points, while Theekshana is second and Kuldeep has dropped to third.
ICC Test Bowling Rankings (Top 5)
Jasprit Bumrah – 889 points
Kagiso Rabada – 851 points
Matt Henry – 846 points
Pat Cummins – 838 points
Josh Hazlewood – 815 points
ICC ODI Bowling Rankings (Top 5)
Keshav Maharaj – 687 points
Maheesh Theekshana – 671 points
Kuldeep Yadav – 650 points
Bernard Scholtz – 644 points
Rashid Khan – 640 points
Burmah’s workload management
Bumrah has been named in India’s 15-member squad for Asia Cup 2025. After India’s recent England tour, debates resurfaced over fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah’s workload management, with several former cricketers questioning the approach.
However, chief selector Ajit Agarkar has clarified that there will be no change in the plan for Bumrah, reiterating that the team wants him to feature in every match possible.
Agarkar stressed that there isn’t any fixed written protocol at the moment, but the management, physios, and medical team constantly monitor his fitness.
He further added that Bumrah has received adequate rest after the England series and the team is confident of managing him well. “Even before his injury layoff, we handled him carefully because we know how crucial he is for India,” Agarkar said.
