Match-winners, MSD expertise make India favourites: Mithali

New Delhi, May 22 

A slew of match-winners coupled with Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s expertise make India favourites to lift the ODI World Cup, believes Mithali Raj, captain of the national women’s ODI team. “The Indian team has a lot of match-winners now,” Mithali said in a video posted on Twitter. “Of course, the captain (Virat Kohli) leads from the front with the openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, but we also have fast bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and the spinners,” she said. “But overall I think, the team which posts a big total and the bowlers who are able to do the job to contain those runs, is the team which is going to win. But then we do have a lot of depth. We have the expertise of Dhoni in the side. So, I can’t pick one player, but India definitely has a lot of match-winners,” she added. 

Mithali, however, picked hosts England as another team which can go on to clinch their maiden 50-overs World Cup title. 

Shakib top ODI all-rounder, no Indian in top-10

Dubai: Shakib Al Hasan jumped to the top of the latest ICC ODI rankings for all-rounders, which doesn’t feature a single Indian in the top-10 chart. Shakib, 32, grabbed the top spot just ahead of the ODI World Cup after showcasing fine form during the Tri-Nation series in Ireland, which Bangladesh won to claim their first title in a multi-nation tournament. Shakib now has 359 points, 20 clear of Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan, the previous holder of the top ranking, who has now slipped to No. 2. Khan’s Afghanistan teammate Mohammad Nabi completes the top-three, with 319 points. Pakistan are the only other team to have two players in the top-10, with Imad Wasim at No. 4 and Mohammad Hafeez claiming the seventh spot. 

England’s Ben Stokes missed out on the top-10 by one spot, finishing eight points behind Angelo Mathews. Kedar Jadhav is the best-placed Indian at joint 12th spot alongside South Africa’s Andile Phehlukwayo and Moeen Ali of England. Hardik Pandya completes the top-20 list. — PTI