India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has regained the number-one batting position while his side has returned to second spot in the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship after its two matches in the Asia Cup in Dambulla, Sri Lanka.
Dhoni, who had started the tournament in third place trailing number-one ranked Michael Hussey of Australia by eight ratings points, scored 38 not out against Bangladesh and 56 against Pakistan.
These match-winning efforts, combined with Hussey's batting failure with the bat against Ireland in Dublin last week, has helped the India captain to jump two places to regain top spot while the Australian left-hander has been pushed down two places to third.
India's successive victories in the Asia Cup have also ensured that it returns to number-two position in the ICC ODI Championship. With India to face Sri Lanka in its last group stage match on Tuesday before meeting again in the final on Thursday, Dhoni's side can afford to lose one match without conceding its second place.
However, if India loses both those matches, it will drop to 118 ratings points which will give South Africa possession of number-two spot. Sri Lanka, in that scenario, would rise to 111 ratings points.
Apart from Dhoni, Sri Lanka's Tillakaratne Dilshan has leapfrogged India's iconic batsman Sachin Tendulkar into fourth spot while India opener Gautam Gambhir has rocketed seven places to 17th spot after scores of 82 and 83.
The Netherlands' Ryan ten Doeschate has also achieved a career-best ranking in the latest playing rankings which were released on Sunday. The Essex all-rounder, who won the ICC Associate Player of the Year Award at the LG ICC Awards in Dubai in 2008, scored 90 against Scotland in the one-off ODI in Rotterdam for which he has been rewarded with a jump of seven places and a share of 25th position with Australia's Cameron White.
Shahid Afridi seems to have adjusted quickly to the full-time role of Pakistan captain when he scored 109 and 32 against Bangladesh and India respectively which has helped him climb eight places to 42nd spot.
In the ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers, Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal has lifted four places to 14th spot while India's pace and spin combination of Praveen Kumar and Ravindra Jadeja have also made upward movements. Kumar has jumped seven places to occupy 20th position while Jadeja has vaulted 12 places to sit in 21st position.
In the ICC Player Rankings for ODI all-rounders, Shahid Afridi has claimed a career-best third position. The list is still headed by Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan while Australia's Shane Watson is in second place.
Meanwhile, England and Australia go head to head in a five-ODI series in Southampton from Tuesday. Number-one ranked Australia leads fifth-placed England by 23 ratings points. While Australia will retain its top position irrespective of the series result, England has a chance to move up the ladder.
The ICC Player Rankings will now be updated on Friday after the end of the Asia Cup.
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