India ae currently on top of Men’s ODI Rankings with 121 points, eight clear of second-placed Australia.
New Delhi: India retained the No.1 position in the ODI rankings despite losing the ODI World Cup 2023 final to Australia by six wickets on Sunday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The Men in Blue entered the tournament as the top-ranked team and played like champions throughout the tournament. However, Rohit Sharma’s men faltered when it mattered the most as Australia lifted their record sixth title.
At the time of writing this piece, India have 121 rating points, eight clear of second-placed Australia. South Africa and Pakistan take third and fourth positions respectively despite having 111 points each.
Meanwhile, Australia thus won a record-extending sixth World Cup title, stretching their dominance in the tournament that started way back in 1975. Put in to bat, India ended up with a below-par 240 despite contributions from Rohit Sharma (47 off 31 balls), Virat Kohli (54 off 63) and K L Rahul (66 off 107).
Just like his performance in the WTC final against India in June, Travis Head made a match-winning 137 off 120 balls as Australia chased down the target in 43 overs. Indian hopes were raised when Australia lost three wickets for 47 but a 192-run partnership between Head and Marnus Labuschagne (58 not out) shut the door on the opposition.
The ICC Men’s ODI Rankings as of November 20, 2023.
Australia’s brilliant bowling and fielding also went a long way in their emphatic win. The dew in the evening also made batting easier on a slow and dry surface. India, who were the only unbeaten side going into the final after 10 wins on the trot, fell flat in the final hurdle. Their last world title came way back in 2011 and their last ICC trophy was the Champions Trophy triumph in 2013.
India’s defeats in the ICC events over the past decade include the loss in 2014 World T20 final, 2016 World T20 semifinal, 2017 Champions Trophy final, 2019 ODI World Cup semifinal, 2022 T20 World Cup semifinal and back-to-back runners-up finish in the 2021 and 2023 World Test Championship cycle.