Virat Kohli surpasses Babar, Labuschagne with big jump in ICC Test batting rankings after Perth ton

Virat Kohli ICC Test batting rankings — Image Source : GETTY Nitish Reddy and Virat Kohli against Australia in Perth on November 24, 2024

Virat Kohli's first international century in 2024 earned him a big boost in the updated ICC men's Test batting rankings on Wednesday. The star cricketer registered a brilliant unbeaten hundred during the first Test against Australia in Perth to guide India to a huge 295-run win.

Kohli, who was forced out of the top 10 of the ICC Test rankings after a string of poor performances in red-ball cricket, managed to return to the form in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy opener at the Optus Stadium. Kohli brought his 30th Test hundred, and 81st international century to jump 9 places up to the 13th position in the updated ICC Test batting rankings.

The 36-year-old veteran is chasing the 10000-run mark in Test cricket in a five-match Test series in Australia and is off to a promising start. He surpassed the likes of Marnus Labuschagne and Babar Azam, with the former failing to contribute in the Perth Test, and became the third-highest ranked Indian in the ICC Test batting rankings.

Meanwhile, another Indian to witness a big boost in the Test batting rankings was KL Rahul. The under-pressure batter scored 26 runs in the first innings and 77 in the second to see a 13-place jump in the ICC Test batting rankings to re-enter the top 50.

Yashasvi Jaiswal gained a place to go second in the updated ICC Test batting rankings after a sensational hundred in Perth while Rishabh Pant managed to hold his 6th position after poor show in the BGT opener.