India will drop in rankings if it loses 0-2 to Windies in US T20Is

Second-ranked India will join number-one ranked New Zealand if it wins both the matches.

Opportunity for Kohli and Badree to consolidate No.1 ranking.

IMAGE: The Indian team gets into a huddle before the start of a match. Photograph: BCCI

Two-time World Twenty20 champions the West Indies can leapfrog second-ranked India in the MRF Tyres ICC T20I Team Rankings when they go head-to-head in the two-match series in Lauderhill, Florida, on August 27 and 28.

India is currently on 128 points, four behind table leaders New Zealand, while third-ranked West Indies is on 122.

Led by new captain Carlos Brathwaite, who smashed four consecutive sixes to clinch this year’s ICC World Twenty20 final against England in Kolkata, the West Indies will move to second on 127 points with a 2-0 victory and relegate India to third place on 124 points.

However, a 2-0 win will enable India join number-one ranked New Zealand on 132 points, but Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s team will be ranked second when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point.

In this scenario, the West Indies will slip to fourth with 118 points, one point behind South Africa.

A 1-1 series draw will keep India ahead on 128 points, with the West Indies on 123.

Individual performances in the series will also be keenly watched as a player from either side leads the player rankings for batsmen and bowlers.

India’s Test captain Virat Kohli heads the MRF Tyres ICC Player Rankings for T20I Batsmen with 837 points. With Australia’s Aaron Finch only 34 points behind, Kohli will be looking to consolidate his position at the top.

Rohit Sharma is the next-highest ranked India batsman at No. 23, while Dhoni, who led India to victory in the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 title in 2007, is in 50th position. However, the likelihood of the latter getting more batting opportunities could see him rise in the ranks.

For the West Indies, big-hitting opener Chris Gayle (No. 8) and experienced batsman Marlon Samuels (17) will be looking to move up the ranks with Lendl Simmons (31), Dwayne Bravo (37) and Andre Fletcher (48) also trying to climb the ladder.

The West Indies has two slow bowlers up in the table. Top-ranked leg-spinner Samuel Badree and fourth-ranked off-spinner Sunil Narine will be out to garner points with medium-pacer Dwayne Bravo (39) the next best on the list.

For India, fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is in second position in the MRF Tyres ICC Player Rankings for T20I Bowlers after a creditable show in Zimbabwe a few months ago when India won the T20I series 2-1. Ravichandran Ashwin is the other India bowler inside the top 10 in seventh position, while left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja is in 19th spot.

Marlon Samuels is the best-ranked all-rounder from either side at fifth position.

ICC T20I Team Rankings (as of 25 August, before the start of the India-West Indies series in Florida)

1. New Zealand 132

2. India 128

3. West Indies 122

4. South Africa 119

5. England 116

6. Australia 110

7. Pakistan 104

8. Sri Lanka 96

9. Afghanistan 78

10. Bangladesh 74