11 June,2026 10:16 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma (Pic: AFP)
Following the latest annual update to the ICC Men's ODI Team Rankings, India has successfully maintained its position at the top, though its advantage over second-placed New Zealand has been reduced from eight points to five.
The updated calculations saw India experience a small drop, moving from 119 to 118 rating points, while New Zealand picked up two points to climb up to 113. Holding steady in third place are the reigning 50-over World Cup holders, Australia, who remain unchanged at 109 points.
The only positional shake-up within the elite top 10 featured South Africa (102) leapfrogging Pakistan (98) to claim the fourth position.
Further down the table, a divide has opened up between ninth-placed Bangladesh and the West Indies, with the margin between the two sides widening to 10 points. In other notable movements across the global ladder, Ireland moved ahead of Zimbabwe to take 11th place, the United States nudged ahead of Scotland into 13th, and the United Arab Emirates moved past Canada to claim the 19th spot.
India's dominance remains strong, as the team also holds the No. 1 spot in the ICC Men's T20I Rankings following last week's updates. Meanwhile, Australia leads the way in the Men's Test rankings.
After a convincing victory against Afghanistan in the one-off Test match in New Chandigarh, India will host the Afghanistan team for a three-match ODI series, starting from June 13. Captain Shubman Gill will be eager to continue Team India's 50-over dominance in recent times.
Indian stars like Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer are back in the ODI squad for the series, but Virat Kohli is out due to a hamstring issue. Kohli's participation in the England tour is in doubt, too.
With their lead at the top of the table in ODI rankings getting tighter, the Men in Blue will be keen to put on a clinical performance against Afghanistan. With one eye on the ODI World Cup 2027 in South Africa, Team India will look to test different combinations and give fringe players a chance in the three-match series.
(With PTI inputs)
