India aims for number-one spot on the Reliance ICC ODI Championship Table

India will aim to claim the number-one spot on the Reliance ICC ODI Championship Table for the first time ever when it squares off against Pakistan in a three-match series from 30 December in Chennai.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 champion India is currently ranked third on the ODI Championship Table with 120 ratings points, just one rating point behind number-one England and South Africa in second place. England is fraction of a point ahead of South Africa.

If India wins the first match in the series against Pakistan it will go top of the table for the first time ever, with 121 ratings points, putting it ahead of both England and South Africa by a fraction of a point. India has only achieved a ranking as high as number two thus far on the ODI Championship table.

If India wins all three matches in the series then it will be the clear leader at 123 ratings points, with a lead of two points over England and South Africa.

But if India was to lose even one of its matches against Pakistan, then it will remain at the third spot.

Pakistan, currently ranked sixth, on the other hand can hope to move up a spot to fifth if it wins all three matches against India, gaining six ratings points to move to 110.

To find out exactly how the forthcoming ODIs will affect the Championship table, please click here. The ODI and T20I Championship table, unlike the Test Championship table, is updated after every match.

Build-up to the ICC Champions Trophy 2013

This series will serve as a curtain-raiser for what will be a thrilling season of ODI cricket which will provide all eight leading ODI sides a perfect opportunity to fine-tune their preparations for the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 which will be held in England and Wales in June.

Australia, England, New Zealand and Sri Lanka have been drawn in Group A. India, Pakistan, South Africa and West Indies are in Group B.

The India-Pakistan ODI series will also be the precursor to the clash between the two sub-continental rivals on Saturday, 15 June in the tournament at Edgbaston.

The first allocation of tickets to see two of cricket's biggest rivals - India and Pakistan - clash in the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 sold out in just three hours after going on general sale. This match was the first of the 15 matches in the tournament to have sold out its initial allocation of tickets. Additional tickets for this match may be released to the public via official outlets closer to the event. Fans are urged to buy tickets only from official outlets.

Pakistan has won both its matches against India in the ICC Champions Trophy in 2004 at Edgbaston and at Centurion in 2009.

Defending champion Australia will be looking for a treble in what will be the final edition of the ICC Champions Trophy, having won the previous two ICC Champions Trophy finals (2006 in India and 2009 in South Africa).

But Australia will face stiff challenge from former champions South Africa (1998), New Zealand (2000), India and Sri Lanka (2002), and West Indies (2004), who will each be looking to lift the trophy for a second time by winning the final edition of the event.

End of an era

India batsman Sachin Tendulkar has ended his ODI career in 28th position in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI batsmen. His ODI career spanned 22 years 91 days - the longest in history. In ICC Cricket World Cup competition, he has scored the most runs, faced the most balls and hit the most centuries and fifties.

He is also the youngest to top the ODI batting rankings - at 22 years and 311 days or 8346 days old in February 1996. In terms of rankings, he was on top for a total of 112 matches or 354 days. In ODI cricket, he peaked at 887 ratings points in November 1998. Interestingly, he also made it as high as number two in the ODI all-rounders? table in March 1996.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

Fans ahould only buy tickets for ICC Champions Trophy 2013 at www.icc-cricket.com or, if in the United kingdom, via phone on 0844 249 2013. Regular updates on the ticket sales will be provided via www.facebook.com/cricketicc and on twitter @cricketicc. The official twitter hashtag for the tournament is #ct13.

Upcoming fixtures

India v Pakistan

30 Dec - 1st ODI, Chennai

3 Jan - 2nd ODI, Kolkata

6 Jan-3rd ODI, Delhi

Reliance ICC ODI Championship (as on 28 December, before India-Pakistan series)