In the recent announcement of the ICC ODI men’s Team rankings, India slipped to the third position, falling behind Pakistan and trailing three points behind the top-ranked team, Australia.
Following the annual update, the five-time world champions saw an improvement in their rating, moving from 113 to 118. Australia now holds a narrow lead over Pakistan (116 points) and India (115 points) in the rankings.
“Pakistan were ranked third, with 112 points and briefly went to the top of the charts after their victory in the fourth ODI against New Zealand this month.” Pakistan could have stayed at the top position had they managed to complete a 5-0 clean sweep against New Zealand.
As the top three teams in the ICC ODI men’s Team rankings find themselves separated by a mere three rating points, an intriguing competition is set to unfold in the year of the World Cup.
The annual rankings by the ICC took into account all completed ODI series since May 2020, with earlier series before May 2022 given a weightage of 50 percent and all subsequent series weighted at 100 percent.
This comprehensive evaluation ensures that the rankings reflect the recent performances of the teams and sets the stage for an exciting battle among the leading contenders.
“This means that Pakistan have now pipped India in the second spot, with their 4-0 away series defeat in England no longer being counted. Their 3-0 series loss in England in 2021 also has a reduced weightage, helping them leapfrog India in the charts,” the ICC said.