Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
De Villiers now sits atop the ICC ODI Batsmen rankings
South Africa captain AB de Villiers has dethroned India vice-captain Virat Kohli to become the top-ranked ODI batsman on the International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings.
South Africa wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock gained the most points for becoming only the fifth cricketer in ODI history to score three centuries in a row as he jumped up 61 spots from 75th to 14th.
The other South African batsmen to move up the rankings were Jean Paul (JP) Duminy, who ascended three spots to 24th and David Miller, who climbed 12 spots to 45th.
Almost all of India’s batsmen went the opposite direction on the rankings as opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan slipped down a spot from ninth to tenth, Rohit Sharma fell from 15th to 18th and Suresh Raina dropped down to 23rd.
India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was the only batsman who went in the right direction as he moved up from 72nd to 71st.
Some of India’s bowlers suffered the same fate on the ICC ODI Bowlers rankings as Jadeja slipped from third to seventh and spinner Ravichandran Ashwin dropped down from 14th to 17th.
However, India’s pace duo of Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma both ascended up the rankings as Shami soared from 50th to 43rd, while Sharma rose from 67th to 51st.
Meanwhile, South Africa’s bowlers all made gains as pace spearhead Dale Steyn moved up from fifth to second, Lonwabo Tsotsobe climbed from tenth to eighth and Ryan McLaren ascended from 22nd to 20th.