5 Teams that dominated the No.1 ODI rank for long time

Back in January 5, 1971, England and Australia locked horns in the first ever ODI at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. The 50-overs format of cricket has come a long way ever since with the World Cup taking place every four years.

Though the West Indies ruled the roost in the formative years of ODI cricket, it has been Australia, who are the most successful, having five World titles to their name. It’s England, who are currently the ICC’s number-one ranked ODI team. The Brits are also the World champions after the dramatic final against New Zealand at the renowned Lord’s Cricket Ground.

Meanwhile, most teams, at some point of their journey, have weaved magic in the ODI format. Not only did they reach to the top, but also held their position for a significant amount of time.

In the article let’s take a look at the five teams that held the number one ODI ranking for the longest time: –

5. India- 12 months

From January 2013 to December 2013, India had their longest streak at the helm in ODIs. During this phase, the Men in Blue played 32 matches and won 22 with a win-percentage of 68.75. The team, led by MS Dhoni, started with a series defeat at the hands of Pakistan, but came to beat England.

India also went on to emerge victorious in the 2013 Champions Trophy, beating the Brits in the final. Then they went on to get the better of the West Indies and Zimbabwe in bilateral series. Dhoni’s men then turned over Australia by 3-2 at home.

Rohit Sharma’s 209 in Bengaluru sealed the fate of the series. India followed it up with a 2-1 win versus the Caribbeans. But, the year didn’t end on a grand note for them as South Africa beat them by 141 and 134 runs in Johannesburg and Durban respectively.