ICC rankings 2025: Root's reign under fire, Gill's rise pushes England star to the brink

Dubai (The Uttam Hindu): The International Cricket Council (ICC) has released the final Test rankings for 2025. Updated as of December 26th, England's legendary batsman Joe Root continues to dominate the rankings, but his position is now in danger. Root's teammate Harry Brook has made a significant leap forward, posing a significant challenge for the number one spot.

In the latest rankings, Joe Root remains at number one, but his rating has dropped slightly, now at 867. Meanwhile, young England batsman Harry Brook has jumped three places with a strong performance. Brook has now reached number two with a rating of 846. The gap between Root and Brook is now narrow, leading to speculation that Joe Root could lose his number one position at the start of the new year.

New Zealand legend Kane Williamson has dropped one spot due to Harry Brook's rise. He now sits at number three with a rating of 822. Australia's Travis Head has also dropped one spot to fourth with a rating of 816. Meanwhile, Steve Smith has dropped two places to number five with a rating of 811.

Among Indian players, young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal remains at his eighth position. Meanwhile, Shubman Gill has made a remarkable return to the top 10 at the end of the year. Gill has gained one spot and reached number 10 with a rating of 730. In fact, Alex Carey has dropped four places in the rankings, dropping to number 13, a direct benefit to Shubman Gill.

Apart from this, Kamendu Mendis is at sixth position, Temba Bavuma is at seventh position and Pakistan's Saud Shakeel is at 9th position (734 rating) with a gain of one place in the ranking.