Sharjah: Afghanistan's cricket captain, Rahmat Shah, has achieved a landmark milestone by becoming the first player from his country to break into the top 10 of the ICC Men's Test Player Rankings.

According to International Cricket Council, Rahmat's remarkable innings of 173 in the first match of Afghanistan's Test series against Zimbabwe in Sharjah propelled him six places up to seventh in the Test batters' rankings. This performance, which marked his fifth Test century and his second this year, enabled the 33-year-old to surpass prominent players like India’s Shubman Gill, South Africa’s Aiden Markram, and Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis.

This achievement is part of a successful period for Afghanistan cricket, which recently reached its highest-ever position in the ICC Men's ODI Team Rankings, climbing to sixth following a tri-series victory over Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. In the same Test match, Zimbabwe's Craig Ervine also made significant progress, moving up nine spots to 48th after an unbeaten double-century.

The ICC World Test Championship series between Bangladesh and the West Indies also saw notable improvements in player rankings. Kavem Hodge, Towhid Hridoy, and Amir Jangoo made strides upward in the Test batters' rankings, while Jomel Warrican achieved a new career-high in the Test bowlers' category, rising to 19th. Warrican also gained in the all-rounders' rankings, while Justin Greaves climbed to eighth place among Test all-rounders.

In the ODI rankings, changes followed the India-New Zealand series, with Indian bowlers Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, and Gurnoor Brar making significant advancements. New Zealand's Jacob Duffy and Kyle Jamieson also improved their standings, reflecting a dynamic shift in the lead-up to the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.