Ruling ICC WORLD TWENTY20 CHAMPION SRI LANKA NEEDS TO WIN ONE MATCH AGAINST NEW ZEALAND TO RETAIN ITS NUMBER-ONE RANKING.

ICC World Twenty20 champion Sri Lanka clashes with host New Zealand in a two-match Twenty20 International arrangement on Thursday, 7 January, in Mount Maunganui completely mindful that it needs to either draw or win the arrangement to hold its number-one position on the ICC T20I Team Rankings. Sri Lanka (125) drives eighth-positioned New Zealand (108) by 17 focuses, which implies it is relied upon to win the arrangement easily. This, thusly, implies if the arrangement closes in a draw, the distinction will lessen to 14 focuses, however all the more imperatively, Sri Lanka will hold its number-one position. Interestingly, if New Zealand wins both the matches, then Sri Lanka will join the West Indies and Australia on 118 focuses however will be positioned behind the West Indies and Australia in third position when the focuses are computed past the decimal point. In this situation, New Zealand will ascend to seventh position on 114 focuses and will decrease the hole with Sri Lanka to only four focuses. The last time eighth-positioned New Zealand played Sri Lanka was in the ICC World Twenty20 in 2014, when it lost by a major edge. For the current year, Sri Lanka's record in T20Is peruses as one win out of four while New Zealand is possibly better with two wins out of four. There is bounty to play for as both the sides head into the last period of their arrangements for the ICC World Twenty20 India 2016, which will happen from 8 March to 3 April. With a great deal of T20I cricket to be played ahead of the pack up to the ICC World Twenty India 2016, changes are normal in the ICC T20I Team Championship table. To discover precisely how the approaching arrangement will influence the T20 rankings table, please click here. The T20I rankings table is redesigned after every match.

In the interim, without Brendon McCullum, an in-structure Kane Williamson will lead New Zealand. The 25-year-old is positioned fourteenth in the ICC T20I Player Rankings, and has a chance to break into the main 10. Martin Guptill, who was the star of the ODI arrangement, will begin in tenth position and most likely will have an essential part to play for his side. For Sri Lanka, a considerable measure will rely on upon the accomplished shoulders of Tillakaratne Dilshan. The 39-year-old is positioned at a great ninth, and will be the directing power for the side without general chief Lasith Malinga who has been precluded because of damage. Aaron Finch of Australia, India's Virat Kohli and Alex Hales of England possess the main three spots in the batsman rankings. A glance at the ICC T20I Bowler Rankings indicates Sri Lanka bowler Sachithra Senanayake as the most astounding positioned bowler from either side in number-three. Nuwan Kulasekara is the other bowler inside the main 10 in tenth spot. For New Zealand, Mitchell McClenaghan is one to keep an eye out for. The left-arm medium quick bowler is positioned twelfth, a profession best position for him, alongside Adam Milne, likewise at a vocation high position of 41st.