The race for the number one spot in ODIs is heating up with less than a month to go before the ODI World Cup 2023. There are currently three teams competing for the top position, and India’s chances of reclaiming it have improved after Australia’s recent loss to South Africa in the ongoing away series.
Currently, Australia and Pakistan share the top spot in the ICC ODI rankings with 118 points, while India is closely behind in second place with 116 points. The result of Pakistan’s final Super Four match against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup will play a crucial role in determining whether Pakistan can maintain their number one ranking in ODIs.
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Pakistan needs to beat Sri Lanka in the Super Four clash on Thusday to advance to the final of the Asia Cup against India. A win for the Men in Blue in the Asia Cup final would dent Pakistan’s hopes of holding on to the top spot. Barring some 50-over practice matches against New Zealand and Australia going into the World Cup, which won’t be tagged as internationals, Pakistan won’t feature in any ODIs ahead of the showpiece event. The ODI World Cup, to be hosted in India this year, will get underway from October 5.
Conversely, if Pakistan win the Asia Cup, they will remain the undisputed Number 1 in ODIs while India will slip further down the rankings ahead of the ODI World Cup. Despite losing tamely to South Africa in the third ODI on Tuesday, Australia is still in the running to be the top-ranked team before commencement of the World Cup. Australia can reclaim the top spot in the ODI rankings if they win their final two games against the Proteas.
However, if the Baggy Greens lose their next two fixtures against South Africa, they will drop out of the joint top spot in the ODIs to third in the rankings. The three-match 50-over series between Australia and India at the end of this month will then have a significant bearing on which team takes the top spot in ODIs going into the World Cup.
India will play the most matches out the three teams vying for the No.1 spot ahead of the ODI World Cup. For India to reclaim the No.1 spot, they have to lift the Asia Cup and hope Australia lose their remaining matches against the Proteas. India’s upcoming three-match series against Pat Cummins-led Australia might be crucial in determining the No. 1 ranking spot going into the World Cup.
