Can India go into the World Cup as World No. 1 in ODIs? All the possibilities explored

On Sunday, India beat Sri Lanka in a lopsided final match to lift the Asia Cup, the eighth in the team's history and the second for Rohit Sharma as Indian captain.

After Mohammed Siraj's fiery opening spell of 6/21 enabled India to bowl Sri Lanka out for 50, openers Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan finished the chase in just 6.1 overs.

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India had come into the game as the No 3 ranked ODI team in the world, with Australia sitting on top. The combination of an India win and Australia's loss to South Africa on the same day meant the Men from Down Under slipped to third, with Pakistan moving back to the top of the standings.

But can India regain the No 1 spot ahead of the World Cup? Here, The Sporting News has a look at the possibilities emerging from the upcoming India vs Australia ODI series later this month.

WATCH: Ishan Kishan imitates Kohli after Asia Cup win 

Can India go into the World Cup as World No. 1 in ODIs?

There are two other ODI series happening at the same time as the India-Australia series, which are Bangladesh vs New Zealand and England vs Ireland. However, neither one of these series will have a bearing on the rankings of the top 3 sides.

As long as India win the series, irrespective of the scoreline, they can go into the World Cup as the No.1 ranked ODI team in the world. This would also allow them to be ranked No 1 in Tests, ODIs and T20Is simultaneously.

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Australia can regain the top spot, if they manage to whitewash India by a scoreline of 3-0. If they win the series 2-1, Pakistan will replace India in second, and if in any case the series ends in a 1-1 draw, the rankings will stay as they are, i.e. Pakistan, India and Australia in that order.

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