Virat Kohli closes in on top-spot in ICC ODI rankings, Rohit Sharma follows
Indian cricket star Virat Kohli has made significant progress in his quest to reclaim the top spot in the ICC ODI Player Rankings. Kohli, who delivered an outstanding performance in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, scoring 765 runs, has moved up one place to third in the latest rankings.
With just 35 rating points separating him from teammate Shubman Gill, who holds the top position with 826 rating points, Kohli is closing in on the top spot.
Despite Gill's narrow lead, Pakistan captain Babar Azam remains in second place with 824 rating points. Kohli's rise has pushed South Africa's Quinton de Kock down to fifth place, while India's captain Rohit Sharma has moved up one spot to fourth with 769 rating points. Kohli and Rohit Sharma emerged as the leading run-scorers in the World Cup, with Kohli breaking the record for the most ODI centuries.
During the World Cup, Kohli reached triple figures on three occasions, securing 791 rating points in the process. Gill and Babar, with 826 and 824 rating points respectively, are still at the top, but Kohli and Rohit are within striking distance following their stellar performances in the tournament.
Kohli held the No.1 ranking for an impressive 1258 consecutive days between 2017 and 2021. Babar had been in the top position in recent years until Gill claimed the spot during the World Cup. The rise of Kohli and Rohit has added excitement to the ODI batter rankings.
Australia's Travis Head has made a significant leap in the rankings, climbing 28 places to 15th after his brilliant century in the World Cup final. South Africa's Quinton de Kock drops to fifth, while New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell rises to sixth after scoring 552 runs in the tournament.
In the ODI bowler rankings, South Africa's Keshav Maharaj maintains his position at the top. Australia's Josh Hazlewood has risen four places to second, and Mitchell Starc has jumped eight spots to 12th. Pat Cummins, the Australian captain, has improved seven places to 27th. Indian bowlers Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah remain in the top 10. Kuldeep Yadav has dropped one spot to equal sixth.
In the ODI rankings for all-rounders, Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan continues to lead comfortably. New Zealand's Mitchell Santner drops to seventh, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz of Bangladesh rises to ninth.
Virat Kohli has made a push to dethrone his compatriot as the No.1 ODI batter 👀
— ICC (@ICC) November 22, 2023
The latest changes in the @MRFWorldwide ICC Men's Player Rankings following the conclusion of #CWC23 👇https://t.co/RYJbtXlMD2
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Parliamentary panel discusses MGNREGA shortcomings, ways to adopt VB-G RAM G Act smoothly
New Delhi (PTI): A parliamentary panel on Monday examined various aspects of the UPA-era rural job guarantee law MGNREGA, which has now been replaced by the Narendra Modi government's VB-G RAM G Act, and how to go about with it in the next six months for a smooth transition to the new legislation.
Sources said most members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj were concerned about how the transition would take place in the next six months when the government shifts work policies from MGNREGA to the VB-G RAM G Act, how the payments would be made to beneficiaries during this period and how additional budgetary support would be arranged.
No member opposed the VB-G RAM G Act during the meeting, and several of them expressed concern that the enrolment under the old law was only around 50 per cent in many states, sources said.
Members also said it would take at least six months to implement the VB-G RAM G Act, as it will be implemented only after the rules are framed.
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) was passed by the Congress-led UPA in 2005. The VB-G RAM G Bill was passed in Parliament during the recently concluded Winter Session amid vociferous protests by the opposition. The new act has a provision for 125 days of wage employment for rural workers.
The parliamentary panel meeting on Monday also discussed what the new system and framework would look like.
According to sources, some opposition members admitted that there were certain shortcomings in the MGNREGA for which the committee had earlier made certain recommendations.
Some opposition members said they had earlier suggested extending the number of working days from 100 to 150. They also demanded that whatever recommendations were made by the committee earlier should be considered while preparing the rules for the VB-G RAM G Act, according to sources.
BJP MPs said the new legislation was needed since the existing law could not address the current problems of villages and basic infrastructure development in rural areas.
Sources said that during the meeting, some MPs spoke about the reasons for bringing the VB-G RAM G Act and opined that MGNREGA was brought with the twin objectives of providing rural jobs and developing the rural infrastructure.
But those objectives were not achieved, and that is why the VB-G RAM G Act was brought by the government, sources said.
BJP members also said there were examples from several states where even 50 per cent of the MGNREGA funds could not be utilised by the governments there.
Chairman of the committee and Congress leader Saptagiri Ulaka said the members discussed various aspects of MGNREGA threadbare and how to go about in the next six months, as the new law will be implemented only when the rules are framed.
He said that the members intend to discuss MGNERGA in the budget session too, and for all these, there was a briefing session from the Ministry of Rural Development.
"We had a good discussion. The new law has been passed, but new rules have to be issued. All states will also have to come on board. Today's meeting was on how to go about a smooth transition to the VBG RAM G Act. Some members have given some suggestions too. We will give a report, then everything will be clear before you," he told reporters after the meeting.
During the meeting, the secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development gave a presentation on the MGNREGA.
According to the presentation, sources said, except for Delhi and Chandigarh, MGNREGA is implemented in 741 districts, covering 2.69 lakh gram panchayats with 12.15 crore active workers.
Of these, women constitute 57 per cent, SC/ST workers 36 per cent, and 4.81 lakh persons with disabilities have also been provided employment. At present, more than 15 crore families with 26 crore beneficiaries are covered under the scheme, sources said.
