India's batting maestro Virat Kohli and his teammate Mohammed Siraj registered a downfall in the latest ICC ODI rankings on Wednesday, August 2. Virat couldn't get an opportunity to bat in the first ODI of the recently culminated three-match series versus the West Indies as India chased down the modest total of 115 in the 23rd over of its innings thereby registering a comprehensive five-wicket win.
The Delhi-born was rested in the other two games of the series and hence didn't get a single opportunity to get a hit in the middle as India relied on its youngsters to win the series and eventually claimed it by a margin of 2-1 after experiencing a little stutter in the 2nd ODI at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.
Even Siraj too didn't participate in the ODI series against the West Indies as he flew back home after complaining of a sore ankle post the completion of the two-match Test series in the Caribbean. The Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) medical team advised him to take rest as a precautionary measure with marquee tournaments lined up in the form of the Asia Cup scheduled to be played from August 30 onwards in Sri Lanka and Pakistan and the ODI World Cup to kickstart from October 5 onwards.
Virat, who was occupying the eighth position in the men's ODI batting rankings has slipped down to ninth and Siraj has slid from third to fourth in the men's ODI bowling rankings. While the former India skipper has a total of 712 rating points to his name, Siraj has aggregated 677 rating points to his credit in the 50-overs format. South Africa's Quinton de Kock has overtaken Virat to claim the eighth spot whereas Afghanistan's spin wizard Rashid Khan has climbed to the third spot and replaced Siraj.
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam is at the zenith of the batting rankings in ODIs with 886 rating points. He is virtually undisputed as Rassie van der Dussen, who is second on the list is more than 100 points behind him. In the bowling rankings, Australia's tall pacer Josh Hazlewood occupies the apex position with 705 rating points.
