Williamson has a chance to topple Kohli at the top of the rankings.
South Africa pacer Vernon Philander continued to move upward in the ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers after inspiring his side to an innings and 81 runs victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test at the Centurion.
Giving the 'social challenge' a new twist, the International Cricket Council called Australian batting sensation Marnus Labuschagne a duplicate of his team-mate Steve Smith. ICC used three different photos of Steve Smith indicating different profile pictures for Linkedin, Facebook, and Instagram. However, they replaced his Twitter picture with a duplicate account and used Labuschagne's photo to denote it, terming it as 'duplicate account'.
Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting said that England batter Joe Root is fulfilling his full potential with his run over two years.
Australia captain Michael Clarke has reclaimed the top spot in the latest Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen that were released on Tuesday after the completion of the Hobart and Nagpur Tests.
South Africa batsman Hashim Amla moved within four ratings points of becoming the number-one ranked batsman in the Reliance ICC Test Player Rankings for Test batsmen, which were released on Tuesday, at the end of the series between Australia and South Africa.
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting backed Labuschagne to return to his best.
England's James Anderson has displaced India's Zaheer Khan to claim third place in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers.
England has the opportunity to rise to as high as fourth in the ODI list if it sweeps the series against New Zealand, irrespective of how Saturday's tri-series final in Bangladesh, between India and Pakistan, pans out.
India women will be keen to internalise the conditions and character of venues in England ahead of next year's World Cup during the five-match T20I series against the hosts, beginning with the opening game on Saturday.
Struggling with his form, a downcast Australian skipper Ricky Ponting on Tuesday crashed out of top 20 Test batsmen list for the first time in nearly a decade in the latest ICC ranking.
Brook, Gardner named ICC Players of the Month
MS Dhoni's captaincy and man management skills are part of cricket's urban legend, and the former India skipper on Friday said earning respect and loyalty of players with deeds formed the primary layer of leadership.
The Indian cricket fraternity on Sunday hailed the team's elevation to the top of the Test rankings but warned Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men that staying at the summit is always tougher than reaching there.
A haul of eight hundred and 17 fifties during the calendar year was Babar's best of his career to date.
The ICC on Thursday came under attack for its "baffling" all-time Test player rankings which had no place for champion batsmen like Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara in the top 20 but the game's governing body made it clear that the list did not rank players in terms of true greatness.
Pakistan achieved the No. 1 Test ranking for the first time since the current rankings system was introduced in 2003 after it drew the series against England 2-2.
South Africa could overtake top-ranked Australia on the ICC Test Championship Table if they win their upcoming series against Pakistan
India are marginally ahead of third-placed New Zealand in the WTC points tally.
While Sachin Tendulkar's 2013 farewell became a national pilgrimage, a vibrant celebration befitting a cricketing deity, the exits of many other Indian icons this century have been quieter journeys into the twilight.
Elated at leading India to the top of the ICC Test rankings, Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Sunday said the tough task now is to hold on to the position by becoming more consistent.
India's Virat Kohli may have flopped in the two innings of the first Test against England but the star batsman has held on to his second spot in the latest ICC ODI rankings released on Sunday.
'I do not believe this has happened due to extreme aggression.'
Riding on the match-saving hundred against New Zealand in the second cricket Test, Indian batsman VVS Laxman on Tuesday returned to the top-20 of the ICC Rankings, up six places to 15th in the latest list.
Virat Kohli (fourth), Shikhar Dhawan (seventh) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (ninth) have also maintained their respective positions in the ICC ODI batting chart.
Veteran Indian batsman VVS Laxman rose seven places to a career-best sixth in the ICC Rankings for Test batsmen after playing two crucial half centuries in the drawn match against the West Indies in Bridgetown.
New Zealand's Colin Munro and Ish Sodhi have started the year with a bang after vaulting to the top of the ICC T20I Player Rankings for batsmen and bowlers respectively, following stellar performances in the series against the West Indies, which recently concluded at Mount Maunganui on Wednesday.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's side enters the series in number one position, leading Graeme Smith's side by four ratings points. But the home side will drop to second if the Proteas win the series 1-0 or better.
A few days after Pakistan replaced India at the No.1 spot of ICC Test rankings, some Pakistani fans have started mocking the Indian cricket team and captain Virat Kohli on social media websites. A cropped image was posted by a fan wherein Pakistan captain Misbah ul Haq is lifting Kohli in a way seen in entertainment style wrestling. Team India were crowned number 1 Test side and had to win the fourth and last Test against the West Indies to retain their top position in the ranking.
The ICC launched the WTC last year to lend context to bilateral Test series, giving the format its standalone showpiece like the World Cup in other formats.
The emerging nations compete against each other in the International Cricket Council's Inter-Continental Cup 2015-17 scheduled, with the winners getting a chance to play the bottom-ranked Test team on the Reliance ICC Test Team Rankings in the ICC Test Challenge in 2018.
South Africa's run to the WTC final has been driven by their dominant performances, especially at home. In those matches, their potent pace attack, featuring Kagiso Rabada (37 wickets in 8 matches at an average of 19.8) and Marco Jansen (29 wickets in 7 matches), has proved to be a game changer.
It will be Anderson's 10th Ashes campaign and Broad said he was still champing at the bit to get going.
Ted Dexter scored 4,502 runs at an average of 47.89 during his Test career and took 66 wickets at an average of 34.93.
Kohli, who also led India to the top of the world's Test rankings during the period, received the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, which team mate Ravichandran Ashwin had won last year.
Australian pacers Ben Hilfenhaus and Ryan Harris achieved their highest-ever bowling ratings in the ICC Test rankings after guiding their team to a thrilling three-wicket win over the West Indies in the first Test in Barbados.
India will start their two-Test series against South Africa in Johannesburg on Wednesday with an aim to close the gap with the number one ranked side.
The India right-hander has 862 points in his kitty, still 25 points behind AB de Villiers of South Africa, who is heading the list.
India played a key role in sinking a proposal for a two-tier structure in Tests but it should never have been up for discussion at the International Cricket Council's meeting, according to Board of Control for Cricket in India president Anurag Thakur.
England's Harry Brook bagged his second player of the month award after his exploits in New Zealand Test series,
