3-0 win over Bangladesh won't fetch India top ODI spot
Dubai, June 16 (IANS) A 3-0 victory over home side Bangladesh in the upcoming One-Day International (ODI) series will not be enough for second-placed Mahendra Singh Dhoni's India to reclaim the top spot in ICC rankings, but a series win for the hosts will boost their qualifying chances in the 2017 Champions Trophy.
Dhoni's side can reduce leader Australia's advantage to 10 points should it sweep the series three-nil. In this scenario, Bangladesh will slip to ninth position on 96 points.
If India wins the series 2-1, it will remain on 117 points, while a 2-1 loss will mean it will join New Zealand on 115 points but will still be ranked above Brendon McCullum's side, which is currently in the middle of a highly entertaining series with England and holds a 2-1 lead after the first three games.
Host England, plus the seven next highest-ranked sides on the Reliance ODI Rankings as on September 30, will progress to the tournament, which will be staged from June 1-19 in England and Wales.
Bangladesh is currently level with the West Indies on 88 points but is ranked below the West Indies in eighth position, while Pakistan is one point behind in ninth spot.
If Bangladesh wins the series 3-0, then it will move to 96 points while a 2-1 win will see the host rise to 93 points. Even if Bangladesh loses the series 2-1, it will be enough to put it ahead of the West Indies in seventh place by a fraction of a point.
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli enters the ODI series as the highest-ranked batsman on either side in fourth place. The Delhi-born right-hander is one of the three India batsmen inside the top 10 alongside Shikhar Dhawan (seventh) and Dhoni (ninth).
In the ICC ODI bowler's rankings, Bangladesh's Shakib-Al Hasan, who hit the 150-cap mark last time out against Pakistan, has seventh-ranked Saeed Ajmal in his sights.
The left-arm spinner will also be aiming to hit the 200-wicket mark during the series as he currently stands on 195. In eighth place, he is the highest-ranked bowler heading into the series.
However, India has four bowlers inside the top 20, with Ravichandran Ashwin (12th) leading the way. Five points then separate Umesh Yadav (16th), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (17th) and Ravindra Jadeja (18th).