Team India are all set to take on Sri Lanka in a two-match Test series. The first Test will be played in Galle from August 15 to August 19, while the second Test will be held at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo from August 23 to August 27.
India are currently fifth in the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) points table. They have played nine matches, winning four and losing four, while one Test match ended in a draw. They need to win eight of their remaining nine matches in the ongoing cycle to be 100 percent sure of qualifying for the final.
India’s fortunes have swung from one end of the pendulum to the other over the last five years. On that note, we rank India’s top five Test batters since the start of 2020. Significantly, the list does not include Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
#5 Ravindra Jadeja
Veteran Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has significantly improved his batting in Test cricket over the last few years. The southpaw has made invaluable contributions with the willow in the middle and lower order. Since the start of 2020, he has played 41 Tests (64 innings) and has scored 2,251 runs at an average of 40.92, with the aid of five hundreds and 14 half-centuries.
Of his five Test hundreds during this period, two have come in England and three in three in India. He scored a fighting 104 in the 2022 Birmingham Test and compiled another hard-fought 107* in the drawn Test in Manchester during the 2025 tour. Jadeja notched up his career-best score of 175* against Sri Lanka in Mohali in March 2022.
#4 KL Rahul
KL Rahul has been a key member of the Indian Test team over the last few years. After a prolonged period of disappointment, during which he failed to make the most of his batting form, the right-hander has come into his own in recent seasons. In 32 Tests (59 innings) since the start of 2020, he has scored 2,147 runs at an average of 38.33, with seven hundreds and nine half-centuries.
Of his seven Test tons during this period, three have come in England, two in South Africa and two at home. Rahul scored a memorable 129 at Lord’s during the 2021 tour. He scored a famous 123 in Centurion in 2021 and 101 at the same venue during the 2023 tour.
#3 Yashasvi Jaiswal
Yashasvi Jaiswal has been a terrific performer in the top order for India ever since making his Test debut in 2023. In 29 matches (54 innings), the left-handed batter has notched up 2,535 runs at an average of 48.75, with seven tons and 13 fifties.
Of Jaiswal’s seven hundreds, three have come in India, two in England, one in Australia and one on debut in the West Indies. Jaiswal amassed 712 runs in nine innings during England’s tour of India in 2024, which included two double tons. He scored 101 in Leeds and 118 at The Oval during the tour of England last year. Jaiswal also hit 161 in Perth in 2024.
#2 Shubman Gill
Current skipper Shubman Gill has been exceptional with the willow in Test cricket in recent years. Since his debut in 2020, he has featured in 41 Test matches (74 innings) and has scored 2,969 runs at an average of 44.31, with the aid of 11 centuries and eight half-centuries.
Of Gill’s 11 hundreds, four have come in England, six in India and one in Bangladesh. The Indian captain had a sensational tour of England in 2025. In 10 innings, he amassed 754 runs at an average of 75.40, with four tons. Of his six centuries at home, two have come against England and one against Australia.
#1 Rishabh Pant
Keeper-batter Rishabh Pant has firmly established himself as one of the mainstays of the Indian Test team over the last five years. Despite his risky style of play, he has achieved amazing consistency in red-ball cricket. In 39 Tests (69 innings) since the start of 2020, he has scored 2,803 runs at an average of 43.12 and a strike rate of 74.98, with six hundreds and 17 half-centuries.
Of his six Test hundreds during this phase, three have come in England, two in India and one in South Africa. Pant scored a scintillating 146 in Birmingham in 2022 and hit centuries in both innings of the 2025 Leeds Test. He also scored ton against South Africa in Cape Town in January 2022.
Edited by Renin Wilben Albert