Liton Das achieves best ever ranking for Bangladesh

Bangladesh's batsman Liton Das plays a shot during day three of the first cricket Test match between New Zealand and Bangladesh at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on 3 January, 2022AFP file photo

Bangladeshi top order batter Liton Das has advanced to his career best ranking in International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Test ranking for batsmen. The wicket-keeper-batsman has been ranked 12th, the highest ever ranking achieved by any Bangladeshi player in Test cricket, in the latest update of ICC Test ranking on Wednesday.

Liton Das jumped two steps up as New Zealand batsmen Tom Latham and Henri Nichols moved down in the Test ranking. Latham has moved down to the 13th spot from 10th and Henri Nichols got two steps down from 13th to 15th.

With 683 rating points, Liton is now 21 points behind David Warner at the 10th spot.

Earlier, Liton had risen to 14th place after the first Test between New Zealand and South Africa. South African skipper Dean Elgar moved four steps down in the ranking after that Test.

In the Test series against New Zealand, Liton scored a total of 196 runs in 3 innings with an average of 65.33. Although he fell 14 runs short of a century in the Mount Maunganui Test, he played a brilliant knock of 102 in Christchurch.

Before Liton, opener Tamim Iqbal held the record of achieving the highest ranking in Test format. In 2017, Tamim Iqbal was ranked 14th in Test format. Liton rose to the 15th spot in ICC’s ranking after the Test series against New Zealand in January.

In the latest update of ICC’s Test ranking, Liton is followed by Mushfiqur Rahim at 24, Mominul Haque at 34 and Tamim Iqbal at the 35th spot.