India Remains at the Top in ODIs and T20Is as White-Ball Supremacy Increases

India has again proved why they are regarded as a white-ball powerhouse. They remain at the top of both ODIs and T20Is which is a testament to their dominance in the shorter versions of the game. Their consistent performance in the past couple of years has ensured that they remain at the top. Despite the fact that they have fallen to fourth position in the Test rankings India is still a force to reckon with when it comes to the white-ball formats. The recent ICC annual men's ranking update is an affirmation of this change. All games played from May 2024 are currently rated at full value whereas the games played in the last two years are rated half value. This update has assisted India in further solidifying their position at the top in ODIs and T20Is.

India has enhanced their rating points from 122 to 124 in ODIs. This is largely because of their victory in the ICC Champions Trophy and a robust World Cup performance in 2023. New Zealand took the second position after they finished as runners-up in the Champions Trophy. They defeated Australia who are currently placed third. Sri Lanka too had a major surge in the ODI rankings. Their home series victories over India and Australia contributed to them reaching fourth place. They also earned five rating points during the process. The surge displaced Pakistan and South Africa to fifth and sixth places respectively. Pakistan increased only one point while South Africa lost four.

Afghanistan also improved well by jumping to seventh position. They gained four rating points that enabled them to surpass England. England fell to eighth after losing four points. The West Indies also climbed the table. They gained five points and are currently ranked ninth. Bangladesh fell to tenth after losing four points.

India also rules the T20I format. They are currently the world champions and top of the T20I rankings. They are nine points ahead of second-placed Australia, which is still a commanding position. This is one point less than the ten-point head start they had before but India still has a comfortable cushion. The rankings have become bigger now with 100 sides featured in the global T20I rankings. This update now includes all the teams that have played eight or more T20Is in the last three years. Global T20I rankings were initially introduced in 2019 with just 80 teams.

England, the 2022 champions, are currently ranked third in T20Is. New Zealand stands at fourth position with West Indies and South Africa being at fifth and sixth. Sri Lanka continued their ascent and moved to seventh by surpassing Pakistan. Pakistan is now in eighth place. Bangladesh and Afghanistan occupy the ninth and tenth positions respectively. Ireland also gained some ground in the rankings. They exchanged places with Zimbabwe and are now in 11th place.

In Test cricket Australia remains at the top of the list. They are the present World Test Championship holders and still demonstrate their prowess in the longest form. They have a rating of 126 which keeps them at the top. Even though their lead has reduced from 15 points to 13 they still hold the number one position. England improved significantly in the Test rankings. With Ben Stokes leading them, they have won three out of their previous four Test series. This assisted them in climbing to second place and their ranking was increased to 113. India and South Africa both fell by one position and are currently at third and fourth position respectively. India has a rating of 105 points and South Africa has a rating of 111 points.

The remainder of the Test rankings remained unchanged. New Zealand is in fifth position and then Sri Lanka Pakistan West Indies Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. Ten teams are only ranked in the Test format currently. Ireland and Afghanistan are not ranked as yet. Ireland must play one more Test within the next twelve months to qualify. Afghanistan must play three more Tests to be covered by the rankings.

India's emergence in white-ball cricket is due to their consistency and high ratings in big-ticket tournaments. The fact that they have been able to switch between ODIs and T20Is and still produce high-quality results has enabled them to form a deep and balanced team. Despite having slipped in the Test rankings overall performance indicates that they remain one of the leading<TAB>cricketing nations globally. With the white-ball dominance firmly in their favor India remains a side others will look to push in the years to come.