Pakistan cricket team climbed to the top of the ICC ODI Rankings for teams ahead of the start of Asia Cup 2023 and the crucial ICC ODI World Cup. Babar Azam's men did so by defeating Afghanistan 3-0 in the 3-match series. In the process, Pakistan went on to dethrone Australia in the standings. Before the Afghanistan series, Australia occupied the No. 1 spot with Pakistan placed second at 115.8 rating points. They needed a victory in the third match to become the No.1 ODI team and they have done it. The Indian cricket team, who had recently defeated West Indies 2-1 in an ODI series, are in the third spot in the rankings.

Read Also: Pakistan Can Become No.1 ODI Team Before the fixture against India in the Asia Cup.

"This achievement reflects the hard work, dedication, and unity exhibited by our talented players and their unwavering focus on excellence. It is a proud moment for all of us as the Pakistan cricket team reclaims the top spot in the ODI rankings," Zaka Ashraf, the chairman of the PCB Management Committee said.

"I also want to congratulate and laud the efforts of the entire squad, coaching staff, and support personnel for their collective commitment to raising the flag of Pakistan high in the world of cricket," Ashraf added.

Pakistan won the first ODI by 142 runs at the back of a brilliant bowling display. The second game turned out to be intense, with the Men in Green grinding out a win in the last over, with the last pair standing. The third ODI saw Afghanistan lose the match by 59 runs. Pakistan posted a challenging 268 and it was enough to become the new No.1 ODI team.

The schedule of the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 has been released. The Women's World Cup will begin on September 30 with hosts India playing their first match against Sri Lanka at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Also Read: BCCI announce Indian women's squad for ODI and T20I series against England

The eight-team tournament will be a round-robin format with the top four teams advancing to the semi-finals. The much-awaited final will be played on November 2. Australia will begin their campaign against New Zealand on October 1 at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore.

India vs Pakistan Match details

Due to tension between India and Pakistan, Pakistan will play all its matches in Colombo, Sri Lanka under the hybrid hosting model agreed upon by BCCI and PCB. In such a situation, the teams playing with Pakistan including India will go to Colombo, which is a neutral venue.

The most awaited match of the group stage between India and Pakistan will be played on 5th October in Colombo.

Women's Cricket World Cup 2025: Venues

• India : Bengaluru, Guwahati, Indore, Visakhapatnam 
• Sri Lanka : Colombo

The tournament will be held at five major venues in the two countries. Bengaluru and Colombo have been shortlisted as potential hosts for the final.

Women's Cricket World Cup 2025: Full Schedule

Australia's star fast bowler Mitchell Starc added a big achievement to his name on Wednesday by becoming the bowler to take the most wickets in ICC tournament finals. Starc achieved this feat by taking two wickets on the first day of the World Test Championship 2025 final against South Africa at Lord's. Starc, playing his fifth ICC final, has taken 11 wickets so far and is expected to increase it.

Also Read: Highest wicket-takers in WTC 2023-25

With this, Starc also broke the record of Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami as soon as he took the second wicket. This record was earlier in the name of Shami, who had taken 10 wickets in four ICC finals.

So, let's take a look at the bowlers with most wickets in ICC tournament finals.

Most Wickets in ICC Tournament Finals

6. Glenn McGrath | 8 Wickets

The former legendary Australia pacer Glenn McGrath featured in a total of 5 ICC finals for the Baggy Greens and took 8 Wickets for his team. McGrath was one of Australia’s most important players for several years and he always stepped-up big time in finals of major tournaments.

McGrath was the second-highest wicket-taker in the 2002 edition of the ICC tournament with 8 wickets in 3 matches after Muttaih Muralidharan who has claimed 10 wickets in as many games.

5. Kyle Jamieson | 8 Wickets

New Zealand fast bowler Kyle Jamieson also took 8 Wickets in the ICC tournament finals after appearing in 3 innings. In the 2019–2021 World Test Championship Final, Jamieson was named as the man of the match, after taking seven wickets, including a five-wicket haul in the first innings.

4. Ravindra Jadeja | 8 Wickets

Ravindra Jadeja comes fourth on this list. Jadeja’s evolution from a utility player to a match-winner is reflected in his 8 ICC final appearances. In his 8 finals, Jadeja dismissed 8 players in ICC tournament finals.

His all-round prowess was key to India’s Champions Trophy triumph in 2013, where he was the leading wicket-taker. He has since played vital roles in T20 World Cup finals and two successive WTC finals (2021, 2023), as well as the 2025 Champions Trophy. 

3. Trent Boult | 8 Wickets

New Zealand's veteran pacer Trent Boult is true to the 'big-match player' tag with 8 wickets in his 4 ICC Finals. Boult played a massive role in the Kiwis' success in ICC tournaments and gave brilliant bowling performances in the finals as well.

Boult was also the joint leading wicket taker at the 2015 Cricket World Cup. In 2018, he became the third bowler for New Zealand to take a hat-trick in ODIs.

2. Mohammed Shami | 10 Wickets

India's star bowler Mohammed Shami now comes second in this list. In four ICC finals, Shami has taken 10 wickets at an average of 38.90, an economy rate of 3.95 and best bowling figures of 4/76 in the WTC final 2021 against New Zealand.

Shami is also the leading wicket-taker among Indian bowlers in ODI World Cups and also led all bowlers in the 2023 edition with 24 wickets in seven outings. He continued his magical run in ICC events with a five-wicket haul in his maiden Champions Trophy game (ongoing contest against Bangladesh).

Also Read: Most Runs in WTC 2023-25

1. Mitchell Starc | 11* Wickets

Australia's pace ace Mitchell Starc has became the highest wicket-taker in ICC tournament finals. The left-arm quick achieved the milestone during the World Test Championship (WTC) final against South Africa at Lord's. Starc, playing in his fifth ICC final, has now taken 11 wickets across tournament deciders.

The milestone came in style as Starc struck early in South Africa's second innings, cleaning up Aiden Markram for a duck. He followed it up with the dismissal of Ryan Rickelton for 16, ending Day 1 with figures of 2/10 in a fiery spell.

He also became the joint second-highest wicket taker in ICC knockout games. He is sharing the spot with former Aussie legend Glenn McGrath and Mohammed Shami, who each have taken 22 wickets. The top spot is with former Sri Lankan great Muttiah Muralitharan, who has 23 wickets.

The air around Pakistan Cricket is thick with anticipation. Unconfirmed but strong reports indicate that Pakistan Cricket Board (PSB) is set to make a major leadership change, with Salman Ali Agha likely to take over Pakistan's all-format captaincy.

This is not just a routine captaincy change; it's a strategic move by PCB that could fundamentally change the team's trajectory.

What does this decision truly signify for the Green Shirts? Find out.

The current captains: Where do they stand?

Pakistan's captaincy landscape is currently questionable, influenced by their recent performances.

1. Shan Masood (Test Captain)

Appointed in November 2023, Shan Masood's captaincy has been challenging. The team suffered a 3-0 whitewash in Australia (Dec 2023- Jan 2024) which placed his position under significant threat.

Additionally, they also lost 2-0 to Bangladesh (Aug-Sept 2024) which almost marked the end of his captaincy tenure.

2. Mohammad Rizwan (ODI Captain)

Named full-time ODI captain in 2024, Mohammad Rizwan's tenure is also under review. While he had initial success, his position came under threat after their early exit from the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, despite being the defending champions.

This include big losses to New Zealand and India in the tournament.

3. Salman Ali Agha (T20 Captain)

Appointed T20 captain in March 2025, Agha has been impressive. Under his brief leadership, the T20I side has reportedly shown "newfound intent" while batting. 

He has impressed both the selection committee and PCB chairman.

PCB's decision to change:

The PCB's move towards an all-format captain, particularly Salman Ali Agha, signals a desire for greater stability, a unified vision, and a fresh approach after a period of mixed results and frequent leadership changes.

The performances under Masood and Rizwan, especially in critical series and tournaments, have undeniably shaped the board's apparent decision towards a new captaincy structure and implement a new era under a single leader.

Till now, 11 Indian cricketers have been inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame. Former Indian captain and legend MS Dhoni became the latest Indian to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame list. 

Read Also | India's 2011 World Cup winning squad: Where are they now?

Along with MS Dhoni, Aussie great Matthew Hayden, South African legend Hashim Amla, former South African captain Graeme Smith, former Kiwi leader Daniel Vettori, and former Pakistan captain Sana Mir and English legend Sarah Taylor were also inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame 2025.

Unorthodox, unconventional and effective 🙌

A cricketer beyond numbers and statistics 👏

MS Dhoni is inducted in the ICC Hall of Fame 🥇

More ➡️ https://t.co/oV8mFaBfze pic.twitter.com/AGRzL0aP79

— ICC (@ICC) June 9, 2025

Here are the Indian cricketers who have been inducted into the prestigious "ICC Hall of Fame". 

Indian Cricketers in the ICC Hall of Fame

After the Champions Trophy 2025, India's target in ODI cricket will be the ODI World Cup 2027. In such a situation, know what is Team India's ODI schedule till the World Cup 2027. The Men in Blue have to play a total of 9 series in the next ICC ODI tournament, which includes 27 matches.

Apart from this, some more ODI matches can be scheduled near the tournament. So, know what is the ODI schedule of Indian Cricket Team till 2027 and when India will face which team.

Also Read: The Kohli Effect: Will Indian fans lose interest in Test cricket after Virat Kohli's retirement?

The ODI World Cup2027 will be held around October to December. Before this, the Indian team is going to play a lot of matches. India have to play 3-match ODI series against 8 teams. They will play series twice against one country.

India will play New Zealand twice

India will play Australia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, West Indies and Sri Lanka once each in the upcoming ODI series, while it will play New Zealand twice. Out of the nine series, India will play six series at home, while the rest will be held outside the country.

It will start with the tour of Bangladesh in August, which will be played this year. In October-November 2025, India has to play a three-match ODI series on its tour of Australia. South Africa's team will tour India in November-December.

India will host Sri Lankan team in December 2026

In January 2026, the New Zealand team will play an ODI series in India. After this, India has to play a three-match series against Afghanistan in June. In July 2026, Team India will have to play the same number of ODI series on its tour of England.

The West Indies team is scheduled to tour India in September-October. There will be an ODI series against New Zealand at home in October-November. India will host the Sri Lankan team for an ODI series in December 2026.

Also Read: Fav four in Test cricket: Kohli vs Root vs Williamson vs Smith stats in Tests

India's ODI schedule till World Cup 2027