NEW DELHI: India's defeat to Bangladesh in the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup dashed their hopes of claiming the top spot in the rankings across formats.
Before their clash with Bangladesh on September 15, India occupied the No. 2 position in the ICC Men's ODI Team Rankings with 116 rating points, just slightly behind the top-ranked Australia, who held 118 points.
India, already dominating the Test and T20I rankings, had a golden opportunity to secure the top spot in ODIs.
To achieve this, two conditions needed to be met: 1. India had to defeat Bangladesh in the Asia Cup Super Four match
2. South Africa had to emerge victorious against top-ranked Australia in the penultimate ODI of their five-match series
However, only one of these scenarios unfolded as planned.
South Africa secured an impressive 164-run win over Australia, but India suffered a narrow defeat to Bangladesh by just six runs.
Image credit: ICCThis loss not only denied India the chance to lead the rankings across formats but also dropped them to the No. 3 spot, with a rating of 114, behind Pakistan and Australia.
Australia and Pakistan were separated by a slim rating margin, with Australia holding a rating of 115.259 and Pakistan at No. 2 with a rating of 114.889.
Even if Australia lose their final ODI to South Africa and India become Asia Cup champions on Sunday (September 17), India will still not claim the No. 1 ranking.
Asia Cup: Bangladesh upset India for consolation win
In this scenario, Australia's defeat would open the door for Pakistan to take the top spot.
The battle for the top spot will continue as India host Australia in a three-match ODI series starting on September 22.
This series will not only help both teams gain momentum for the World Cup but also determine who will be the No. 1 ODI side heading into the tournament.
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