Top ODI spot up for grabs in India's series against England

Dubai, July 10 (IANS) India will have to blank England 3-0 in the upcoming One-Day International (ODI) series to get back to the top spot in the ICC rankings, a statement from cricket's world governing body stated on Tuesday. England and

Nepal will debut in ODIs when they play two matches against the Netherlands on August 1 and 3 while the Netherlands will be turning out in ODIs for the first time since losing ODI status in 2014 at the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier in New Zealand. 

The players of these two nations will be hoping to make impressive entries in the ICC ODI Player Rankings, which could see a number of changes when the rankings are next updated on August 13 after 18 matches featuring many of the top players around the world.

India captain Virat Kohli leads the rankings for batsmen with a career-high rating of 909 points, a good 96 points ahead of Pakistan's Babar Azam, who will be hoping to get back into the groove after missing the recent tri-series in Zimbabwe due to injury.

Fourth-ranked Rohit Sharma of India will be looking to continue his T20I form in the ODIs, sixth-ranked Joe Root of England has a good chance of overtaking Ross Taylor, while the South Africa pair of Quinton de Kock and Faf du Plessis as well as India's left-handed opener Shikhar Dhawan are the other players likely to be seen in action.

On the bowlers' list, top-ranked Jasprit Bumrah's finger injury, due to which he will miss the series, gives others a chance to close the gap, and third-ranked Hasan Ali of Pakistan would be eyeing a return to the top spot.

Leg-spinners Adil Rashid of England and Yuzvendra Chahal of India are other top 10 players who will be in action.

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IANS