Kohli moves up in ICC rankings for batters after 85 against Australia in World Cup
Dubai(PTI): India batting mainstay Virat Kohli on Wednesday moved up two places to reach the seventh position in ICC rankings for batters, after hitting a terrific 85 in his team's six-wicket win over Australia in the World Cup in Chennai.
Kohli walked out to bat with India placed in a precarious 2 for 2 which soon became 5 for 3 but he lifted his side with a gritty knock that thwarted Australia's progress while adding a match-winning 165 for the fourth wicket with KL Rahul.
Rahul, who struck 97 not out against Australia, moved up 15 positions to reach the 19th spot while World Cup history's fastest century-maker, South Africa's Aiden Markram reached 21st, as he moved up 11 positions.
The ICC issued the release on Wednesday which did not take into account Kohli's unbeaten 55 against Afghanistan, as India recorded their second straight win by 8 wickets and 15 overs to spare.
"Ten centuries across the opening eight matches at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 have shaken up the top end of the ICC Men's ODI Batting Rankings," the ICC said on its website.
Among other Indians, Mohammed Siraj slipped to the second spot having shared the top with Australia's Josh Hazlewood for a while. Siraj lost five points after the game against Australia.
India spinner Kuldeep Yadav moved up three positions to reach eighth but all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja remained outside the top-40 list of bowlers despite his three-wicket haul in Chennai.
At the same time, Quinton de Kock's 84-ball 100 against Sri Lanka in World Cup clash at New Delhi saw the South African move up one spot to reach the sixth position.
England's Dawid Malan, who struck a terrific 140 against Bangladesh in Dharamsala, moved up as many as seven spots to reach the eighth in the rankings, while Pakistan's Imam Ul Haq dropped three positions and was placed ninth.
The ICC rankings had New Zealand's Trent Boult moving up two spots to third and Matt Henry rising four spots to reach the fifth position inside the top 10.
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BJP will form govt in Bengal with thumping majority: Nabin
Mirzapur (UP) (PTI): BJP president Nitin Nabin on Wednesday voiced confidence that his party will form the government in West Bengal with a "thumping majority".
Polling is underway for 142 constituencies in the second and final phase of the West Bengal assembly elections, covering key districts, including Kolkata, Howrah and North and South 24 Parganas.
The high-stakes contest is being seen as decisive for the ruling TMC's bid for a fourth consecutive term and the BJP's push to form its first government in the state. The first phase held on April 23 recorded a high voter turnout of over 93 per cent, reflecting intense electoral engagement.
Speaking to reporters in Mirzapur, Nabin said, "The BJP will form the government in Bengal. We are winning the elections with a massive majority."
Earlier in the day, the BJP chief visited the Vindhyavasini temple and offered prayers. The rituals were conducted by his priest Acharya Agastya Kumar Dwivedi.
On his first visit to the district after assuming office, Nabin was welcomed by party workers at several places. At the temple, he was received by city MLA Ratnakar Mishra and District Magistrate Pawan Kumar Gangwar, who felicitated him with a traditional 'angvastram'.
After offering prayers for about 10 minutes amid Vedic chants, Nabin held a meeting at a hotel with local MLAs, including Mishra, Majhwan MLA Suchismita Maurya and Madihan MLA Ramashankar Patel.
Patel said Nabin emphasised strengthening the organisation and asked public representatives to focus on serving people in their respective constituencies.
Several party leaders, including district president Lal Bahadur Saroj, district vice-president Gaurav Umar, municipal chairperson Shyam Sundar Kesari, women workers and senior officials, were present on the occasion.
Elaborate security arrangements were put in place by the district administration for the visit, with multiple officers of circle officer rank deployed, officials said.
