After his 10-wicket haul and Player of the Match heroics against New Zealand in the first of the two-match series on December 2, Bangladesh left-arm spinner Taijul Islam vaulted four places to a career-high 14th in the ICC Test Bowlers’ Rankings.
Taijul’s 708 rating points are the most ever achieved by a Bangladesh bowler, surpassing Shakib Al Hasan’s 705 in August 2017.
In Shakib’s absence, the 31-year-old led the spin attack for the Tigers, who defeated the Kiwis by 150 runs on December 2 at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. The left-arm spinner claimed 10 wickets for 184 runs to help the hosts take a 1-0 lead in the series.
With 189 Test wickets, Taijul is Bangladesh’s second-highest wicket-taker, after only Shakib’s 233.