How can Team India reclaim the No. 1 ranking in ODIs?

Team India, Australia and Pakistan are involved in a three-way battle to secure the No.1 ODI ranking ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup, which begins in October. Pakistan and Australia currently hold the top position with 118 points, while the Men in Blue are not far behind with 116 points to their name.

The remaining fixtures in the Asia Cup as well as the matches in the bilateral series between Australia and South Africa will determine how the teams shape up in the rankings table.

India held the title as the No.1 ranked ODI team till March 22, and they have a chance to reclaim the position at the summit if the upcoming set of fixtures go their way.

The 2023 Asia Cup marks the final course of preparation for Pakistan in the build-up to the ODI World Cup. They are only scheduled to play a couple of warm-up matches in the coming weeks. If they defeat Sri Lanka and India to win the Asia Cup, then they will hold the No.1 ODI ranking.

As far as Australia are concerned, they must win both the remaining ODIs against South Africa and win the series 4-1 to hold their position at the top. If they succumb to defeat in even one of the two matches, they will slide down to third. Furthermore, their upcoming three-match ODI series against India will also have a say in who claims the No.1 ranking.

The equation is somewhat similar for India, if they win their final Super Four stage match against Bangladesh and lift the Asia Cup 2023 trophy, they will claim the No.1 ranking, provided Australia lose a match against the Proteas.

Their performance against the Men in Yellow in the home ODI series will also carry significance in terms of their final ranking prior to the 2023 ODI World Cup.

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Team India hold the No.1 rank in T20Is and Tests

The Men in Blue's prowess is projected through their rankings across all formats. While they are close to the top position in the 50-over format, they are at the pinnacle when it comes to the other two formats.

Their performance in red-ball cricket has led them to the No.1 ranking as well as the final of the World Test Championship (WTC). Their grip at the top in the shortest format is also expected to them a world of good, given that the focus following the ODI World Cup will be on the T20 World Cup 2024.