De Kock, Faf back in ODI top 10 rankings

South Africa delivered a knockout blow in the five-match ODI series decider against India on Sunday to win the match by 214 run and take the series 3-2. Du Plessis scored 323 runs in his five knocks at an average of 80 with his highest score of 133. De Kock scored 318 runs at an average of 63 and a top score of 109.

Following their performances both batsmen are 10th in the ODI rankings on 715 points. Du Plessis moved up from 17th while De Kock vaulted up 13 spots.

Skipper AB de Villiers retains his number one ranking, and is now 96 points clear of India’s Virat Kohli in second place, after scoring three centuries (104 not out, 112 and 119) in five matches. Hashim Amla has dropped three places to fifth, while Dhoni has moved up two places to sixth and holds an 11-point advantage over his team-mate Shikhar Dhawan.

In the team rankings, the Proteas retained their third position but has reduced second-ranked India’s advantage to two points.
 

The Proteas went into the series on 110 points, five adrift of MS Dhoni’s men, but De Villiers’ side fought back after conceding early ground to clinch the series in a dramatic final game.

Meanwhile, as a consequence of the 3-2 home series defeat, Zimbabwe has stayed in 10th place, a fraction ahead of Ireland, with Afghanistan one more point behind following its historic inaugural series victory over a Test playing country.

In the ICC Players Rankings for ODI Bowlers, Australia’s Mitchell Starc has returned to the top of tree as Imran Tahir has slipped four places in the top 10. Dale Steyn has dropped one place to sixth, although Morne Morkel has climbed three places to eighth, and is now six points behind Mitchell Johnson, after claiming seven wickets for 132 runs in three matches.
 

Ravichandran Ashwin has dropped a place to 10th, while a number of other bowlers have made significant gains across both series including Akshar Patel (up 19 to 28th), Amit Mishra (up 13 to 32nd), Dawlat Zadran (up 69 to a career-high 34th), Mohit Sharma (up four to 44th) and young Proteas paceman Kagiso Rabada has risen 58 places to a career-high 49th after being the joint-leading wicket-taker in the series alongside Steyn with 10.
  

ICC ODI Championship table:

Rank   Team             Points
1          Australia          127
2          India                114
3          South Africa    112
4          New Zealand   109
5          Sri Lanka         103
6          England           100
7          Bangladesh      96
8          West Indies      88
9          Pakistan           88
10        Zimbabwe       46
11        Ireland             46
12        Afghanistan     45 

ANA