One: Full List
1. DAVID WARNER (AUSTRALIA) 2288
2. AB DE VILLIERS (SOUTH AFRICA) 2291
3. SHIKHAAM KHAN (PAKISTAN) 2238
4. JASON GONZALEZ (WI) 2206
5. PETER HANDSCOMB (AUSTRALIA) 2192
6. MS DHONI (*INDIA*, MATUMBUZA SPORTS CLUB) 2205
7. ENGLAND TEAM 2209
Two: India, Pakistan Up in Rankings; South Africa Slide Down
India was the top-ranked team in Test cricket and rose three places to ninth in the ODI rankings. They remain ranked first in T20I cricket. In the latest update of the ICC Player Rankings for Tests, ODIs, and T20Is – Who’s on Top?, Pakistan has also improved its position from eighth to seventh. But South Africa has slipped from second to fourth position following a recent series defeat by Sri Lanka. The West Indies remain third after swapping places with Sri Lanka in fifth. Australia, England and New Zealand are unchanged at sixth, seventh and eighth respectively. Afghanistan moves up one place to 10th while Zimbabwe slips two spots to 11th
Three: Virat Kohli Continues to Hold the No. 1 Spot in All Three Categories
He has been India’s highest-ranked batsman since the list began. He was ranked seventh in all three formats when the list started but has now scaled to 1st in tests and 2nd in both ODI and T20 rankings. And he will be ranked as the best batsman in each format soon if he continues to maintain his good form. Rankings reflect the consistency of performance, said an ICC spokesperson. As a consequence of a run of good performances by Indian players, Kohli is now comfortably leading the rankings. Kohli hasn’t lost a test match since June 2016 when England won by an innings and 244 runs at Edgbaston. That included 13 wins against two defeats in 15 matches with four draws and one abandoned game.
Four: Australia Have Big Gaps Between Star Players
There are currently six teams in the top 10 of all three formats. Australia has big gaps between their star players with Warner’s absence in limited overs matches due to his suspension, which is only lifted if he reaches 4500 points in the Test format. They also lack quality batsmen except for David Warner who has a good range of batting shots. This results in a lack of depth in both teams. The only two countries outside the top ten are Bangladesh and West Indies but it is important to note that West Indies’ good performance at World Twenty 20 leads them back into the rankings where they were before this tournament. However, when considering all three formats combined, England come out on top followed by India with Australia sitting third.
Five: Joe Root Climbs Further Up ODI Rankings
Joe Root’s ODI ranking has increased again following his huge knock of 147* in the third ODI against India at Trent Bridge. He’s now 5th in the rankings with a score of 722 points. Zimbabwe is back in the World Cup: Zimbabwe is back in the Cricket World Cup after qualifying for their first-ever appearance by beating Sri Lanka 2-0 in their 3-match series. The Zimbabwean side will take part as an associate member nation having been granted entry to both Test and ODI formats of cricket. Following qualification, there was talk about how Zimbabwe may be excluded from these competitions because they were not ranked high enough by the ICC but it appears that this is not going to happen.
Six: Rohit Sharma Stands Tall Among India Batsmen In Test Cricket
Rohit Sharma is the number one-ranked batsman in Test cricket. He stands tall among Indian batsmen with a tally of 4609 runs at an average of 52.43 across 51 innings. His ODI career had seen a similar arc – Rohit scored 3103 runs at an average of 41.75 in 191 innings before his ban from the format; since then he has returned to score 1204 runs from 19 matches at an average of 45.51. In T20I cricket, Rohit is the world’s leading run-scorer with 1152 runs at an average of 38.97 after 27 matches. The two Indians are clear leaders in their respective formats ahead of any other player
Seven: David Warner Rises to No. 3 Spot in Twenty20 Internationals
Warner is the only player to reach the top five in three formats of the game. He sits at number two in Tests and ODIs but has moved up to number three in Twenty20 Internationals. With this rise, Warner is now just one spot away from claiming back-to-back number one rankings. The final step would be holding onto his Test form until England tours Australia this winter where he will have a chance to claim back-to-back number one rankings for all three formats if he can hold his form. His move to third position in Twenty20 Internationals is largely due to being part of unbeaten team India that won four series out of six they played during 2017.
The other players who have achieved the feat are Brendon McCullum (2008), Jacques Kallis (2004) and Ricky Ponting (2006).
