Dhaka: Virat Kohli enters the forthcoming India-Bangladesh ODI series as the highest-ranked batsman on either side in fourth place in the Reliance ICC Player Rankingsfor ODI Batsmen. The Delhi-born right-hander is one of the three India batsmen inside the top 10 alongside Shikhar Dhawan (seventh) and Dhoni (ninth).
Mushfiqur Rahim is Bangladesh’s highest-ranked batsman in 18th position, five points adrift of England’s Jos Buttler, while much will depend on Tamim Iqbal (27th), Shakib Al Hasan (33rd) and Nasir Hossain (42nd) as the hosts bid to create daylight between the West Indies and Pakistan.
In the Reliance ICC Players Rankings for ODI Bowlers, Bangladesh’s Shakib, 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).
The Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI All-rounders still sees Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dilshan lead the way with a six-point gap over second-placed Shakib, who, in turn, holds a 20-point lead over Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh faces India in the three-match One-Day Internationals (ODIs) series in Mirpur on Thursday knowing that a series win will give it a boost in the Reliance ICC ODI Team Rankings as two places in the coveted ICC Champions Trophy 2017 are still up for grabs.
Host England, plus the seven next highest-ranked sides on the Reliance ICC ODI Team Rankings as on 30 September 2015, will progress to the tournament, which will be staged from 1 to 19 June 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.
MS Dhoni’s side, in contrast, 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. The series concludes in Chester-le-Street on 20 June.
