Dubai: Mahendra Singh Dhoni led Indian team lead the field with South Africa occupying second position following its 2-0 win over England in the MRF Tyres ICC T20I Team Rankings. The two are followed by the West Indies, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, England and Australia.

A shuffling of the pack is on the cards as a lot of cricket in the shortest format of the game is still to be played before the 1 April cut-off date. While the main round of the Asia Cup T20 will be played from 24 February to 6 March in Mirpur, the ICC World Twenty20 India 2016 will be staged from 8 March to 3 April.

Meanwhile, Australia has regained the prestigious ICC Test Mace and has also won a cash award of $1million after winning the Christchurch Test by seven wickets, which has given it a 2-0 series win against New Zealand.

The result means Australia has finished two points ahead of India on 112 points in the final series before the 1 April cut-off date. Steve Smith will receive the Mace and the cash award on behalf of his team in a ceremony to be held at a later date.

This is the eighth time Australia has finished as the number-one ranked Test side at the annual cut-off date since the inception of the current rankings system in 2003. It had earlier topped the table each year from 2003 to 2009, before India claimed number-one spots in 2010 and 2011. England ended as the number-one ranked side in 2012 before South Africa completed a hat-trick by retaining the top spot from 2013 to 2015.

India, by virtue of finishing second, will collect $500K, while South Africa will pocket $200K and Pakistan $100K after claiming third and fourth positions, respectively.

It is a double delight for Smith’s men who had earlier topped the MRF Tyres ICC ODI Team Rankings at the annual cut-off date. It had finished comfortably ahead of second-placed New Zealand, followed by India, South Africa, Sri Lanka and England.

ICC T20I Rankings (as of 24 February, after the Asia Cup qualifying matches)

RANK TEAM POINTS

1 India 122

2 South Africa 119

3 West Indies 118

4 New Zealand 116

5 Sri Lanka 116

6 Pakistan 113

7 England 112

8 Australia 110

9 Afghanistan 77

10 Scotland 69

11 Bangladesh 64

12 Netherlands 59

13 Zimbabwe 54

14 Hong Kong 49

15 Ireland 48

16 UAE 42

17 Oman 32