(Image source from: Twitter.com/ICC)
India has maintained its leading position in the one-day internationals and T20 internationals, further solidifying its supremacy in white-ball cricket. However, in the Test format, it has dropped to the fourth position, with Australia remaining at the top, according to the latest annual men's rankings released by the ICC on Monday. This update evaluates matches played since May 2024 at a full weight of 100 percent, while those from the previous two years are considered at a weight of 50 percent.
In the ODI rankings, India, the finalists of the 2023 World Cup, has strengthened its lead at the top following a successful campaign at the ICC Champions Trophy, increasing its points from 122 to 124. New Zealand, the runners-up of the Champions Trophy, has moved into second place, surpassing their rivals from Australia, who now find themselves in third.
Sri Lanka has made a remarkable advancement, reaching the fourth position after securing five additional rating points through successful home series, including victories over both India and Australia. This leap puts them ahead of Pakistan, now in fifth place with a slight gain of one point, and South Africa, which has dropped to sixth with a loss of four points. Afghanistan has also progressed in the rankings, moving to seventh with a four-point increase, thereby pushing former world champions England down to eighth after a four-point decline. The West Indies have achieved a rise to ninth place, gaining five rating points and overtaking Bangladesh, which has slipped to tenth after losing four points.
In the T20I rankings, India, the reigning world champions, retains its number one status, although its margin over second-placed Australia has decreased from ten points to nine. In a notable first, the annual update now encompasses 100 teams in the global T20I rankings, including all teams that have participated in at least eight T20Is over the last three years. The initial T20I rankings launched in 2019 featured only 80 teams. The champions of the 2022 edition, England, are positioned in third, while New Zealand, West Indies, and South Africa follow at fourth, fifth, and sixth, respectively. Sri Lanka is also making strides in T20 cricket, climbing to seventh place, moving ahead of Pakistan, which now occupies eighth. Bangladesh and Afghanistan round out the rankings in ninth and tenth places, respectively.
Ireland has shown progress as well, moving ahead of Zimbabwe to take the 11th rank. In the Test team rankings, Australia, the current holders of the World Test Championship, have preserved their leading position, although their advantage has decreased from 15 to 13 points following the annual update. Pat Cummins’ team holds a rating of 126, maintaining a substantial lead over their closest competitors. Meanwhile, England, led by Ben Stokes, has made significant strides, advancing to second place and overtaking both South Africa and India.
England has achieved a better ranking as a result of securing victories in three out of their last four Test series over the past year. Their rating has risen to 113 points, causing South Africa to drop to third with 111 points and India to fall to fourth at 105 points. The rest of the top ten remains the same, with New Zealand in fifth place, followed by Sri Lanka, Pakistan, West Indies, Bangladesh, and Zimbabwe. Currently, there are only ten teams listed in the Test rankings. Ireland is required to participate in one more Test match within the next year to earn a ranking, while Afghanistan needs to play three additional matches to be included.
