Dubai, Dec 19: India have a great chance of climbing to the top of the ICC T20I championship table if they manage to win all four matches scheduled to be played against England and Pakistan before the end this year.
India are all set to play England in a two-match Twenty20 International series, starting in Pune on Thursday, before squaring off against arch-rivals Pakistan, in another two-match series, commencing in Bangalore on December 25.
Victory in all four games for India, currently ranked third on the T20I table with 120 ratings points, will not only propel them to number one position with a gain of 12 rating points but will also open up a five-point lead over current table toppers, Sri Lanka.
This will be the first time that India has a chance of making it to the No.1 spot in the T20I championship table since it was launched in October 2011.
But if India lose even one of the four matches, the best they can hope to end 2012 is at the number two place, while losing all four could mean slipping down to as low as seventh position with 106 ratings points.
England and Pakistan could hope to push up a place if they win their games against India.
Meanwhile, South Africa could rise up to number two spot if they win the series against the New Zealand 3-0.
But the final positioning for South Africa will be determined by the outcome of India's series against England and Pakistan.
