According to the ICC annual rankings, India retained their top position in ODIs and T20Is but slipped to second place in the men’s Test team rankings.

India have retained their top position in ODIs and T20Is but slipped to the second position in the men’s Test Team Rankings in the latest ICC annual ranking update issued on May 3.

India conceded the top spot in the five-day format to Australia, the reigning World Test champion, following the annual update that drops results from the 2020-21 season and reflects all series completed since May 2021.

India (120) are just four points behind Australia (124) and 15 points clear of third-placed England. South Africa are the fourth team above the 100-point mark with 103 points.

India slipped mainly because their 2-1 series win in Australia in 2020-21 has dropped from the rankings.

The order of teams ranked from third to ninth remains the same. Only nine teams are now ranked as Afghanistan and Ireland have yet to play sufficient Tests, while Zimbabwe too are out as they have played only three Tests over the past three years.

Teams need to play a minimum of eight Tests over a three-year period to get on the rankings table.

India, however, remain atop the ODI and T20I rankings after the annual updates, that weight matches completed prior to May 2023 at 50 per cent and subsequent matches at 100 per cent.

India may have lost the ODI World Cup final to Australia but have increased their lead over them from three to six points, leading the table with 122 points. There are no changes in the top 10 but Ireland have overtaken Zimbabwe to 11th position.

Third-placed South Africa have closed the gap with Australia from eight to four points, while Sri Lanka are just two points behind fifth-placed England.

The T20I rankings see Australia move ahead of England to second place but they are seven points adrift of India, who lead with 264 rating points.

South Africa are just two points behind England after leapfrogging two places from the sixth position that they had before the update. New Zealand also have 250 points like South Africa but behind on fractions, while the West Indies are at 249 points, which means that just three points separate third-placed England from sixth-placed West Indies.

In other movements, Pakistan have dropped two places to seventh, while Scotland have overtaken Zimbabwe to 12th position.

Shubman Gill plays a shot during the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup one-day international (ODI) match between India and New Zealand at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on October 22, 2023.
| Photo Credit: K.R Deepak

Young Indian opener Shubman Gill closed the gap with Pakistan skipper Babar Azam to just six points as the No. 1 ODI batter in the ICC rankings that was released on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old, who became the fastest batter to reach 2000 ODI runs in their World Cup match against New Zealand on Sunday, has improved to 823 ratings points.

Babar on the other hand has dropped to a total of 829 rating point despite having amassed 157 runs from five innings so far at the World Cup, with his most recent effort a fighting 74 in a losing side against Afghanistan in Chennai.

Having missed India’s first two World Cup because of dengue, Gill has 95 runs from just three matches which includes a standout innings of 53 in their seven-wicket win over Bangladesh in Pune.

Star batter Virat Kohli, who is the second leading run-getter in the World Cup with 354 runs after five matches, has improved three spots to be on joint fifth spot with Aussie left-handed opener David Warner (up two spots).

Fresh from hitting three centuries from five matches, South African wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock finds himself within striking distance in third place.

South Africa teammate Heinrich Klaasen has improved seven places to be in fourth spot with a new career-high rating.

Siraj jumps to No. 2 spot

India quick Mohammed Siraj, who has picked up six wickets from five appearances at the World Cup, jumped one place to close in on Australia seamer Josh Hazlewood as the No. 1 ODI bowler.

South Africa’s left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj rose two places to third and a new career-high rating following his seven wickets at the tournament thus far.

Afghanistan veteran Mohammad Nabi (up four places to sixth) and Australia tweaker Adam Zampa (up four places to seventh) also made ground inside the top-10.

Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan remained out in front of the ODI rankings for all-rounders, with South Africa beanpole Marco Jansen the biggest mover with the in-form No. 7 jumping 23 places on this list to share 11th place alongside Scotland’s Michael Leask.