"The Men in Blue are the second best team across fifty overs."
Indian captain Virat Kohli will go into the Cricket World Cup 2019 as the best One Day International (ODI) batsman in the world.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) released the latest rankings, ahead of the mega event, which takes place in England and Wales from May 30, 2019.
India is hoping to have a good run in the tournament as they dominate the rankings with both bat and ball.
The Men in Blue are the second best team across fifty overs. According to the ICC rankings, they also have two batsmen and three bowlers within the top ten.
Ace Indian star Virat Kohli holds onto his numero uno spot as the No.1 batsman in ODI cricket with 890 points. Opening batsman Rohit Sharma strongly comes in the second position on 839 points.
The remaining players in the top five include Ross Taylor (New Zealand: 831), Shai Hope (West Indies: 808) and Quinton de Kock (South Africa: 803).
India’s Jasprit Bujmrah is leading the way in the ODI bowling rankings with 774 points.
Completing the top five positions are Trent Boult (New Zealand: 759), Rashid Khan (Afghanistan: 726), Imran Tahir (South Africa: 702) and Kagiso Rabada (702).
Indian spinners Kuldeep Yadav (689) and Yuzvendra Chahal (680) come in sixth and seventh position respectively.
Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh) has moved twenty ahead of Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) in the all-rounder rankings with 359 points.
Khan’s compatriot Mohammad Nabi takes third place with 319 points. Imad Wasim (289) from Pakistan and Mitchell Santner wrap up the top five positions.
Surprisingly there is no Indian player in the top ten of the all-rounder rankings. Kedhar Jadhav comes the closest in joint 12th position with 242 points.
Despite India being dominant in the batting and bowling departments, the all-around position remains a little concerning.
Jadhav and the likes of Hardik Pandya will have to step up their game for India during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.
The biggest event on the cricket calendar will be held in England and Wales between May 30-June 14, 2019. Warm-up matches will take place ahead of the tournament from May 24, 2019.
India’s first warm-up match is against New Zealand at the Kennington Oval on May 25, 2019. They face Bangladesh in their second warm-up match at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff on May 28, 2019.
India begins their world cup campaign taking on South Africa at the Ageas Bowl, Southampton on June 5, 2019.
The men in blue jerseys will be hoping that their No. 1 batsman Virat Kohli continues to lead from the front with some excellent performances.
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