Dhawan jumps to No.5 spot in ODI batting rankings

India opener Shikhar Dhawan jumped four places while skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni dropped a spot in the latest One-Day International (ODI) batting rankings, released by the International Cricket Council Wednesday.

Dhawan moved up to the fifth spot with 785 points after his impressive showing in the first three ODIs of the ongoing five-match series against Sri Lanka. Dhoni, out of the Sri Lanka series with a hairline crack in his thumb, dropped to the seventh spot with 746.

India's other batsmen in the top-20, third-placed Virat Kohli (843) and 15th-placed Suresh Raina (649) held on to their positions.

The batting list is headed by South African A.B. de Villiers (883), followed by compatriot Hashim Amla (855).

In the ODI bowling rankings, seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar (647) moved up a place to the sixth spot, a position he shares with Pakistan's Mohammed Hafeez.

But left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja went down two spots to be at the eighth spot with 645 while right-arm off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (620) climbed to the 16th spot.

Pakistan's Saeed Ajmal continues to lead the rankings with 770, followed by West Indies' Sunil Narine (753) and South Africa's Dale Steyn (715).

ODI batting rankings:

1 A.B. de Villiers South Africa 883 points

2 Hashim Amla South Africa 855

3 Virat Kohli India 843

4 George Bailey Australia 802

5 Shikhar Dhawan India 785

6 K. Sangakkara Sri Lanka 784

7 M.S. Dhoni India 746

8 Quinton de Kock South Africa 739

9 Tillakaratne Dilshan Sri Lanka 732

10 Ross Taylor New Zealand 702

ODI bowling rankings:

1 Saeed Ajmal Pakistan 770

2 Sunil Narine West Indies 753

3 Dale Steyn South Africa 715

4 James Anderson England 690

5 Mitchell Johnson Australia 680

6 Mohammed Hafeez Pakistan 647

- Bhuvneshwar Kumar India 647

8 Ravindra Jadeja India 645

9 Steven Finn England 640

- Clint McKay Australia 640

--Indo-Asian news Service

sam/dg