Rahmat Shah becomes first Afghanistan player in ICC Test top 10
Afghanistan captain Rahmat Shah reached seventh among Test batters after scoring 173 against Zimbabwe in Sharjah.
Rahmat Shah has become the first Afghanistan player to enter the top 10 of any ICC men's Test player ranking category. He climbed six places to seventh after his 173 in the drawn opening Test against Zimbabwe in Sharjah.
Key takeaways
- Rahmat Shah is the first Afghanistan player in the top 10 of any ICC men's Test player ranking category
- He climbed six places to seventh among Test batters after scoring 173 against Zimbabwe in Sharjah
- The innings was his fifth Test century and second of the year
- He moved past Shubman Gill, Aiden Markram and Kamindu Mendis to enter the top ten
- Afghanistan reached a new high of sixth in the ICC men's ODI team rankings earlier this month
Rahmat Shah has become the first Afghanistan player to break into the top ten of any category in the ICC men's Test player rankings. The Afghanistan captain climbed six places to seventh among Test batters after scoring 173 in the opening match of Afghanistan's two-Test series against Zimbabwe in Sharjah. The match ended in a draw.
Historic ranking milestone
It was Rahmat's fifth Test century and his second this year. The 33-year-old right-hander reached a new career-high rating and jumped ahead of India captain Shubman Gill, South Africa opener Aiden Markram and Sri Lanka batter Kamindu Mendis to enter the top ten for the first time.
Broader context for Afghanistan cricket
The achievement caps off a strong period for Afghanistan cricket. Earlier this month, Afghanistan reached a new high of sixth in the ICC men's ODI team rankings following their tri-series triumph over Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. Afghanistan is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test, One-Day International and T20 International status.
Other movers from the Sharjah Test
Zimbabwe veteran Craig Ervine was another beneficiary of the drawn Sharjah Test, moving up nine places to 48th among Test batters after scoring an unbeaten 206 in the second innings.
What happens next
Afghanistan and Zimbabwe are playing a two-match Test series in Sharjah. The series forms part of the 2025–2027 ICC World Test Championship, the fourth edition of the biennial world championship for Test cricket organised by the International Cricket Council.
The championship started on 17 June 2025 and is scheduled to finish on 13 June 2027 with the final match at The Oval. South Africa are the current champions, having defeated Australia in the 2025 final at Lord's.
Rahmat Shah's Test ranking milestone
Player | Ranking | Score | Centuries |
|---|---|---|---|
Rahmat Shah | 7th | 173 | 5 |
Shubman Gill | below 7th | - | - |
Aiden Markram | below 7th | - | - |
Kamindu Mendis | below 7th | - | - |
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