Thaindian News

Dubai, April 4 (IANS) India are the new World champions but Australia continue to head the latest International Cricket Council (ICC) One-day Internationals (ODIs) team rankings released Monday.

India, who beat Sri Lanka in the World Cup final in Mumbai Saturday, are second in the table with 121 points. Australia, who were knocked out by India in the quarterfinals are at the top with 128 points. They will have the opportunity of extending their lead as they play a three-match ODI series in Bangladesh starting Saturday. Sri Lanka are third at 118 points.

In the players rankings, India’s Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir have also moved up in the ODI batsmen rankings. Tendulkar, the second highest run-getter in the tournament after Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dilshan, has moved one place to ninth while Gambhir’s hard-fought 97 runs in the final has seen the 29-year-old rise four places to occupy the 10th slot. Dilshan has risen to a career-best third position.

Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara still occupies fourth place, while India’s Yuvraj Singh, the ICC Player of the Tournament at the World Cup, remains in joint 17th place with Australian captain Ricky Ponting, the latter having risen six places.

The Netherlands’ Ryan ten Doeschate continues to be the only Associate nation player in the top 20 of the batting rankings, sitting in 16th place.

South Africa’s Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers continue to occupy the top two positions.

In the bowlers category, Sri Lanka’s Anjantha Mendis is one of the big movers, rising nine places to take eighth, a position he last occupied in 2009.

Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has climbed five places to now sit at ninth, while India’s World Cup-winning spinner Harbhajan Singh has risen two places to 18th on the list. Pakistan’s Saeed Ajmal has rocketed up nine places to now occupy the 20th spot, while just outside the top 20, Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga has risen three places and is now joint 25th with South Africa’s Johan Botha.

New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori leads Zimbabwe’s Ray Price by 23 points, with England’s Graeme Swann third and South Africa’s Dale Steyn fourth.

The only change in the top five all-rounders is the drop of South Africa’s Jacques Kallis to fifth and the ascension of Yuvraj to fourth place. Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan leads the field with Shane Watson of Australia in second, Afridi in third.

Reliance ICC ODI Championship (as of April 4 at the conclusion of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011)

Rank Team Rating

1 Australia 128
2 India 121
3 Sri Lanka 118
4 South Africa 116
5 England 105
6 Pakistan 103
7 New Zealand 94
8 West Indies 68
9 Bangladesh 68
10 Ireland 42
11 Zimbabwe 37
12 Netherlands 13
13 Kenya 0