Afghanistan batter Rahmat Shah has created history by becoming the first cricketer from the country to enter the top 10 of any category in the ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings. The 33-year-old climbed six places to reach a career-best seventh position among Test batters after his outstanding performance against Zimbabwe in Sharjah.
Shah’s rise follows a career-best innings of 173 in the first Test against Zimbabwe at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on November 8. His performance earned him a career-high 735 ranking points, taking him past India’s Shubman Gill, South Africa’s Aiden Markram and Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis in the batting rankings.
Batting for 347 deliveries, Shah struck 14 boundaries and three sixes to anchor Afghanistan’s response to Zimbabwe’s first-innings total of 504. He also stitched together a crucial 92-run partnership for the eighth wicket with Zia-ur-Rehman, helping Afghanistan reach 514 and secure a narrow first-innings lead. The contest eventually ended in a draw.
Shah’s achievement marks another significant step in Afghanistan’s progress in Test cricket. His latest ranking rise also reflects a strong run of performances throughout 2026, rather than being the result of one exceptional innings.
The right-hander has scored 402 runs in five Test innings this year at an average of 100.5. The 173 against Zimbabwe was his second century of 2026.
He had earlier impressed in Afghanistan’s one-off Test against Bangladesh in October, scoring 105 off 216 deliveries in the first innings and adding 51 in the second. Shah also contributed 60 runs off 135 balls in the one-off Test against India, despite Afghanistan eventually losing the match.
Other Afghanistan batters also gained ground in the latest rankings following their performances against Zimbabwe. Sediqullah Atal moved up 14 places to 81st after scoring 105, while Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s century on Test debut, an innings of 113, lifted him to joint-83rd.
For Shah, breaking into the Test batting top 10 is a landmark individual achievement and another indication of Afghanistan’s growing presence in the longest format. His consistency at the international level has now translated into a historic position in the ICC rankings.
