Even if the Indian Premier League ran into a speed breaker, there’s something to cheer about for cricket fans in India.
India remain the number one Test side in the ICC Rankings, according to the annual update released by the apex cricket body on Thursday. Virat Kohli's team lead the rankings with a rating of 121 with 2914 points from 24 Test matches, while Kane Williamson's New Zealand are a close second with a rating of 120, with 2166 points from 18 Tests.
Resounding victories against Australia (2-1) and England (3-1) in the recent past have a major contribution in keeping India on top.
A notable shift is Australia’s slide from the third to fourth position, while England have managed to jump to the third spot with a rating of 109.
Despite gaining three points, Pakistan remain in the fifth spot, while the West Indies have secured their best ranking since 2013, reaching the sixth position after recently beating Bangladesh and registering a draw versus Sri Lanka.
The last four slots are occupied by South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, respectively.
World Test Championship Final next month
World No.1 India and second-placed New Zealand will face each other in the World Test Championship final from June 18 in Southampton. While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced a 20-member squad, including four standby players, New Zealand had announced their squad in the first week of April.
After playing New Zealand in the WTC final, India will take on England in five Test matches in August and September.
