ICC Player Rankings of All-Time
Explore the highest ICC ratings ever achieved in Test, ODI and T20I cricket. See how Bradman, Viv Richards, Abhishek Sharma, Joel Garner and other legends reached peak numbers that remain unmatched today.
The ICC defines "all-time best" through the highest rating which a player achieved throughout their career. The single-number peak rating distinguishes exceptional periods that broke the system from outstanding career performances. The rating system maintains exceptional stability between different time periods because it contains built-in mechanisms to protect against era-specific biases.
The following numbers represent the unattainable summit values which exist as of late 2025
Test Cricket
Test Cricket
- Don Bradmanachieved the highest rating of 961 during August 1948 and remains the most unreachable peak in any format since 1948.
- Sydney Barnesachieved the highest bowling rating of 932 during 1914 which remains unmatched by any other player includingMalcolm Marshall(926) andGlenn McGrath. George Lohmannholds the second position with a rating of 931.
ODI Cricket
ODI Cricket
- Viv Richardsachieved the highest batting rating of 935 during December 1985 while playing with two-piece balls and no fielding restrictions.Zaheer Abbas(931) andGreg Chappell(930) joinViv Richardsas the only players who reached ratings above 930. The current batting peak ofBabar Azamat 898 demonstrates how difficult it has become to achieve high ratings in modern cricket.
- Joel Garnerachieved the highest bowling rating of 940 during October 1984 when he reached his peak as "Big Bird". The following players achieved higher ratings thanRichard Hadlee(921) andDennis Lillee(918) and alsoShaun Pollock(917), butMuralitharanreached 913 which demonstrated his wicket-taking ability.
T20I Cricket (the format that keeps climbing)
T20I Cricket (the format that keeps climbing)
- Abhishek Sharmaachieved the highest batting rating of 926 during 2025 which surpassedSuryakumar Yadav(910) andDawid Malan's(919) previous records. The fast-paced nature of this format exists because players compete in numerous matches while performing specific roles.
- Umar Gulmaintains the highest bowling rating of 865 which he achieved in January 2009. The current death-over specialistsRashid Khan(853) andWanindu Hasaranga(843) have not reached the level of Umar Gul. The combination of powerplay swing and yorker delivery which Umar Gul used in 2009 stands as the ultimate standard.
The peaks continue to persist because of their exceptional performance during extended periods. The ICC rating system bases its calculations on players who maintain top performance throughout a 18-36 month period while factoring in their opponents' strength and playing conditions. Bradman maintained his 99 average while facing Bodyline attacks and Barnes bowled on uncovered pitches without front-foot restrictions and Garner delivered one bouncer per over without free hits. Their peaks endured because they outperformed their contemporaries to such an extent that they reset the entire rating system.
Additional information supports the ongoing discussions about the Greatest Of All-Time
Additional information supports the ongoing discussions about the Greatest Of All-Time
- Steve Smithreached a Test batting peak of 947 during late 2019 which stands as the highest rating achieved by a modern player.
- Malcolm Marshallachieved the highest Test bowling rating of 926 after World War I while remaining the top fast bowler of his generation.
- The batting rating of 900 has proven unreachable for all players who were born after 1980 except forBabar Azamwho reached 898 andKohliwho achieved 911 in 2017-2018.
- The batting peak of 900 has been achieved by eight players in T20Is but the bowling peak remains an exclusive group.
You need to decide yourself which perspective to use.
- The peak rating represents the best possible version of a player which you can obtain from any three-year period.
- The career rating/average/longevity represents the consistent performance of a player throughout multiple decades.
The two evaluation methods operate independently from each other. The comparison between Bradman and Kohli becomes impossible to understand because of this.
