India retains its second place in the ICC ODI Rankings

The just-concluded series between Australia and India was a run fest with batsmen from both teams scoring over 3000 runs. The effect of these stellar batting performances reflected in the latest MRF Tyres Player Rankings for ODI Batsmen.

India’s Rohit Sharma has surged into the top five of the ODI batsmen rankings. Sharma claimed his career-best fifth position after rising eight places. The Mumbai batsman had a series aggregate of 441 runs in five matches and was declared the Player of the Series. He is India’s second highest-ranked batsman behind Virat Kohli who is second in the charts. India ODI skipper MS Dhoni slipped seven places to 13th position in the latest rankings.

Australians dominated the Indians in the series which they won 4-1. Glenn Maxwell, David Warner and Steven Smith all have improved their rankings. Maxwell, who scored 169 runs in the series, has moved up two places to eighth, Smith’s 315 runs have helped him rise five places to 15th, and Warner has achieved his career-best rankings after jumping five places to 18th after scoring 220 runs in the series.

The series was difficult for the bowlers and most of them have been unable to defend their pre-series rankings.

India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is out of the top ten after dropping two places and sliding to 11^th position. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has dropped seven places to 20th, James Faulkner has plummeted seven places to 27th, Axar Patel has fallen four places to 33rd and Umesh Yadav has plunged five places to 41st.

The only bowlers inside the top 50 to improve their rankings are India’s Ravindra Jadeja, who is in 22nd place (up by two places), and John Hastings of Australia at a career-best 49th (up by 62 places). Outside the top 50, Ishant Sharma has gained 15 places and is now in 71st spot.

Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc missed the series against India, resulting in him dropping from the number-one position. Starc had moved to the top after he bowled Australia to the ICC Cricket World Cup victory last year in March.

Starc’s slip means New Zealand’s Trent Boult will start the three-match series against Pakistan as the number-one ranked bowler. He leads Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan, in second place, by seven points.

In the series against Pakistan, New Zealand will have an opportunity to move ahead of third-ranked South Africa. However, to make it happen, it will have to win all three matches against Pakistan.

Since the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, Pakistan has played 18 ODIs in which it has won eight and lost nine. In contrast, New Zealand has played 16 ODIs in the same period and has won eight and lost seven. In this background, there is very little to choose between the two sides, which are separated by 24 points on the MRF Tyres ICC ODI Team Championship table.

Meanwhile, India, after winning the Sydney ODI, has retained it second position on the MRF Tyres ICC ODI Team Championship. It trails Australia by 15 points but is just one point ahead of South Africa, which will play five ODIs against sixth-ranked England from 3-14 February.

Check latest ICC ODI player rankings Here.

Check latest ICC ODI team rankings Here.