India need 5-0 whitewash to regain number-one ODI ranking

India is playing England in a five-match ODI series starting on Friday in Rajkot and the only way the hosts, currently ranked third, can regain their number one ranking is by winning all the five matches of the series. A 5-0 win will see India jump two places to claim the top spot.

England too will be aiming to carry its Test form into the ODI format and win its first series in India in 28 years, and cement its status as the number-one ranked side.

South Africa too can move to the top of table as they are playing New Zealand in a three-match series starting on 19 January in Paarl.

However, the Proteas can only go top if it wins all three matches against New Zealand and India wins its series, but fails to complete a clean sweep.

England currently leads second-ranked South Africa by a fraction of a point, but will take an outright lead on the championship table if it wins the series, irrespective of the results of the South Africa-New Zealand and Australia-Sri Lanka series (starting on Friday in Melbourne).

In ICC ODI Player Rankings, no fewer than seven batsmen featuring in the top 10 are likely to figure in the India-England, Australia-Sri Lanka and South Africa-New Zealand series. MORE