Big boost to Team India! Rohit Sharma-led side gets good news ahead of T20 World Cup 2024

Rohit Sharma-led Team India has received good news ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024. Most of the Indian players part of the T20 World Cup squad have reached the United States. They have also started practicing for the mega showpiece. The BCCI shared a video on Wednesday, where players were seen taking part in their first practice session in New York. 

India will play against Ireland in their opening match of the tournament on June 5. India will then lock horns against their arch-rivals Pakistan on June 9. 

Big boost to Team India ahead of T20 World Cup 2024

India currently hold the top spot in the ICC men's T20I team rankings, leading into the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 co-hosted by the West Indies and USA from June 2 to 29. India boast an impressive 264 rating points.

Two-time champions West Indies have climbed to fourth place, with their players demonstrating excellent form ahead of the marquee ICC event. The winners of the 2012 and 2016 editions are now ahead of both New Zealand and South Africa, following a 3-0 series win over South Africa, which pushed the Proteas down to seventh place in the rankings.

Australia, the 2021 champions, are ranked second with 257 points, while defending champions England sit third with 254 points. The West Indies are close behind with 252 points.

New Zealand holds 250 points, while Pakistan and South Africa are both on 244 points, with Pakistan edging slightly ahead based on decimal points.

Pakistan players gain in recent ICC rankings

The West Indies players too have reaped the benefits of their superb performances in the home series not long before their tournament opener against Papua New Guinea in Guyana on June 2.

Opening batter Brandon King is up five places to eighth position after topping the series aggregate with 159 runs and Johnson Charles, who hammered 69 off 26 balls to be named Player of the Match in the third T20I, is up 17 places to 20th.

Kyle Mayers is another batter to move up, gaining 12 places to reach 31st position with an aggregate of 102 runs while left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie has advanced a whopping 84 places to 27th after finishing with eight wickets in the series.

In the latest weekly update that also considers performances in the last two matches of the Bangladesh-USA series and the ongoing series between England and Pakistan, England captain Jos Buttler has inched up to seventh position, Jonny Bairstow is up eight places to 36th while Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman has advanced from 57th to 51st.

In the bowling rankings, Shaheen Afridi is up three places to 11th while Imad Wasim is another Pakistan player to gain, up 14 places to 38th.

For the USA, Steven Taylor has made big gains, progressing 28 places to 109 in the batting rankings while for Bangladesh, Rishad Hussain has moved up 38 places to 52nd in the bowling rankings. 

(With PTI inputs)