Rahmat Shah Enters ICC Test Batting Top 10

On 11 November 2026, Afghanistan batter Rahmat Shah became 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 right-hander rose six places to a career-best seventh among Test batters, with 735 rating points, moving ahead of Shubman Gill, Aiden Markram and Kamindu Mendis.

Century against Zimbabwe lifts ranking

Shah’s 173 against Zimbabwe in the first Test at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on 8 November drove the rise. He faced 347 deliveries, hitting 14 boundaries and three sixes, and shared a 92-run eighth-wicket stand with Zia-ur-Rehman. Afghanistan made 514 in reply to Zimbabwe’s 504; the match ended in a draw. The innings was Shah’s fifth Test century and his second in 2026.

Shah scored 402 runs in five innings during 2026 at an average of 100.5. In the October Test against Bangladesh, he made 105 and 51; against India, he scored 60. Afghanistan’s other centurions against Zimbabwe also advanced in the rankings: Sediqullah Atal rose 14 places to 81st after scoring 105, while Rahmanullah’s debut 113 took him to joint 83rd. Earlier in November, Afghanistan reached sixth in the ICC Men’s ODI Team Rankings after winning a tri-series involving Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.

Important Facts for Exams

• Recent-form weighting: The ICC player rankings average a player’s performances with the most recent matches weighted most heavily, so earlier results lose influence over time.
• Batting-rating inputs: ICC batting performance ratings combine runs with the opposition bowlers’ ratings, match result and comparison with the match’s overall scores.
• Early-career adjustment: A damping factor limits a player’s rating early in their career; full weighting is applied only after about 20 Test appearances.