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Dubai: Virat Kohli equals the highest ODI rating points by an India batsman, recorded by Sachin Tendulkar in 1998.
India pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah has made handsome gains in the latest MRF Tyres ICC ODI Player Rankings after playing a big role in the team’s 5-0 series whitewash over Sri Lanka.
Bumrah has moved up 27 ranks to a career-best fourth position in a list led by Australia pace bowler Josh Hazlewood with South Africa spinner Imran Tahir and Australia pace bowler Mitchell Starc the other two bowlers ahead of him.
The 23-year-old Bumrah, whose previous best was 24th position in June this year, has moved up the table with his player of the series effort of 15 wickets, the best by any bowler in a bilateral ODI series in Sri Lanka. His performances included a career-best five for 27 in the third ODI at Palekelle.
Also gaining in the rankings is India’s left-arm spinner Akshar Patel, who has moved up from 20th to 10th position after finishing with six wickets in four matches. Patel has thus closed in on his career-high rank of ninth in October last year.
Hardik Pandya (up two places to 61st), Kuldeep Yadav (up 21 places to 89th) and Yuzvendra Chahal (up 55 places to 99th) are other India bowlers to gain in the rankings.
Captain Virat Kohli has consolidated his position at the top of the rankings for batsmen after his 330 runs in the series, which included an unbeaten 110 in the last match in Colombo on Sunday, his second century of the series.
Kohli, who is also top-ranked in T20Is, has increased his lead over Australia’s David Warner from 12 to 26 points and is now on 887 points -- equaling the highest ODI rating points by an India batsman, recorded by Sachin Tendulkar in 1998.
MRF Tyres ICC ODI Team Rankings (as on 4 September, after the India v Sri Lanka series):
| S# | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | South Africa | 119 |
| 2. | Australia | 117 |
| 3. | India | 117 (+3) |
| 4. | England | 113 |
| 5. | New Zealand | 111 |
| 6. | Pakistan | 95 |
| 7. | Bangladesh | 94 |
| 8. | Sri Lanka | 86 (-2) |
| 9. | West Indies | 78 |
| 10. | Afghanistan | 54 |
| 11. | Zimbabwe | 52 |
| 12. | Ireland | 41 |
Rohit Sharma, the second highest run-maker in the series with 302 runs, and former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni are both back in the top 10. Sharma, who struck two centuries in Sri Lanka, has gained five slots to reach ninth place while Dhoni’s 162 runs have lifted him two places to 10th position.
For Sri Lanka, all-rounder Angelo Mathews’s 192 runs in the series have helped him gain four slots to reach 23rd position while Niroshan Dickwella (up two places to 36th), Upul Tharanga (up one place to 63rd) and Milinda Siriwardana (up 35 places to 89th) are the others to gain.
Mathews has gained one slot among bowlers to reach 52nd position while spinner Akila Dananjaya has gained 21 places to reach 80th position. Mathews has also gained one position to be fourth among all-rounders.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka has been unable to seal a direct qualification place in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, which it could have done by winning two matches in the series.
Though it is in a strong position to make the grade, the Windies can overtake it by beating Ireland in an upcoming match on 13 September and winning either all five matches against England or the last four matches for a 4-1 win in the series from 19 to 29 September.
The top seven ODI sides apart from host England as on 30 September qualify directly. Teams not getting direct places will get another shot through a Qualifying tournament.
The ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018 will feature the bottom four sides from the MRF Tyres ICC ODI Team Rankings, the top four sides from the ICC World Cricket League Championship and the top two sides from the ICC World Cricket League. The top two sides from the World Cup Qualifier will complete the 10-team line-up for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.
India remains in third position but has gained three points to close in on Australia, which is also on 117 points but remains ahead on decimal points.
