Top 5 Most International Run Scorer in 2014

Top 5 Most International Run Scorer in 2014

• Kumar Sangakkara 778 runs (avg 77.80)
• Brendon McCullum 767 runs  (avg 63.91)
• Kane Williamson 594 runs (avg 54.00)
• Mahela Jayawardene 508 runs (avg 101.60)
• Virat Kohli 505 runs (avg 63.12)

MS Dhoni ruled out of Asia Cup, Virat Kohli to lead India

India captain MS Dhoni has been ruled out of the Asia Cup this month due to a left side-strain injury.

In Dhoni's absence, Virat Kohli will lead the side. Dinesh Karthik will take Dhoni's place in the squad.

"MS Dhoni has been ruled out of the forthcoming Asia Cup, to be played in Bangladesh, in February-March 2014," BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel said in a media release on Thursday.

"He sustained a Grade I left side-strain injury during the course of the second Test against New Zealand. He will be undergoing rehabilitation for ten days," he added.

"The All-India Senior Selection Committee has picked Dinesh Kartik as his replacement in the Indian squad for the tournament. Virat Kohli will lead India in the competition," the release stated.

Asia Cup will be played in Bangladesh from February 25. Checkout Asia Cup 2014, Schedule, Squads, Rules & Overview on click here

Asia Cup Schedule - 2014

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Asia Cup 2014  Complete Schedule :

February 25 - Pakistan v Sri Lanka , Fatullah
February 26 - Bangladesh v India , Fatullah
February 27 - Afghanistan v Pakistan, Fatullah
February 28 - India v Sri Lanka, Fatullah
March 1 - Bangladesh v Afghanistan, Fatullah
March 2 - India v Pakistan, Mirpur
March 3 - Afghanistan v Sri Lanka, Mirpur
March 4 - Bangladesh v Pakistan, Mirpur
March 5 - Afghanistan v India, Mirpur
March 6 - Bangladesh v Sri Lanka, Mirpur
March 8 - Final, Mirpur

Johnson moves to world No.4

Mitchell Johnson has leapt five places to be ranked the world's fourth-best bowler in the latest update to the Reliance ICC player rankings for Test bowlers.

Johnson destroyed South Africa with career-best figures of 12-127 in the opening Test at Centurion last week, and has taken 49 wickets at an average of 13 in his past six Test matches.

South Africa and Australia now occupy the top four positions in the bowling ranks, with Dale Steyn taking back the No.1 position from teammate Vernon Philander, while Ryan Harris remains consistent in third.

Philander had held top spot for 55 days but his match return of 1-97 at Centurion saw him drop 11 ranking points to fall back behind Steyn.

Steyn's Centurion returns of 4-78 and 2-61 in either innings saw him remain steady with 901 ranking points. The South African spearhead took top spot in July 2009 and spent 187 matches, or 1630 days, as the top-ranked bowler until Philander overtook him last December.

Peter Siddle sits in sixth position, while Lyon holds down 19th spot – one behind Ben Hilfenhaus who remains in the rankings despite not having played a Test since December 2012.

Lyon's 614 ranking points for 19th spot are light-years ahead of South Africa's first-choice spinner Robin Peterson, who sits in 64th spot with 259 points.

New Zealand’s Tim Southee moved up to a career-best ninth following his match haul of 5-143 in the Wellington Test against India. Southee is now on 757 ratings points, just 10 behind eighth-ranked teammate Trent Boult.

In the batsmen rankings, Blackcaps skipper Brendon McCullum’s spectacular match-saving knock of 302 in the Wellington Test against India has helped him jump eight places to a career-best 12th.

McCullum, who became the first New Zealand batsman to score a triple hundred, helped draw the second and final Test in Wellington on Tuesday, giving NZ a 1-0 series win.

McCullum shares 12th position with Australia’s David Warner, who moves up three spots of his 115 in the second innings in Centurion.

Meanwhile, India’s Virat Kohli has moved up two places to a career-high of ninth, following knocks of 38 and an unbeatedn 105 in Wellington, to break into the top 10 for the first time.

Kohli joins seventh-ranked teammate Cheteshwar Pujara (down by one) as the only two India batsmen inside the top 10.

Alex Doolan's gutsy knocks of 27 and 89 on debut have seem him enter the table in 59th spot, while Shaun Marsh returned to the table in 63rd position following scores of 148 and 44.

South Africa’s AB de Villiers continues to top the batting table, followed by Kumar Sangakkara in second position and Shivnarine Chanderpaul of West Indies in third place.

Asia Cup 2014, Schedule, Squads, Rules & Overview

Asia Cup 2014 cricket Tournament will start on Feb 25, 2014 in Bangladesh. The last match of the tournament will be held on Mar 8, 2014.

There will be 5 teams participating in this edition of the tournament namely India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

According to the Asia Cup 2014 time table, all the teams will play 4 matches (one against each other) and will be rewarded 4 points for victory and 2 points for tie/ no result. After the competition of the preliminary round, the two teams with the maximum no. of points will qualify for the final and the team winning that final match will become the champion.

The opening match of the Asia Cup 2014 will be played between the defending champions Pakistan and Sri Lanka on 25th of February at Fatullah. The next 4 matches will also take place at the same venue and then, the action will shift to Mirpur where the last 6 matches including the final will be played.

Sri Lanka

Angelo Mathews (capt), Dinesh Chandimal, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kusal Perera, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Lahiru Thirimanne, Ashan Priyanjan, Thisara Perera, Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Kulasekara, Suranga Lakmal, Sachithra Senanayake, Ajantha Mendis, Chathuranga De Silva.

India

MS Dhoni (C), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ambati Rayudu, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar, Mohammad Shami, Varun Aaron, Stuart Binny, Amit Mishra and Ishwar Pandey.

Pakistan

Misbah-ul-Haq (Captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Sharjeel Khan, Shahid Afridi, Umar Akmal, Sohaib Maqsood, Fawad Alam, Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman, Junaid Khan, Umar Gul, Anwar Ali, Bilawal Bhatti, Mohammad Talha.

Bangladesh

Imrul Kayes, Nazimuddin, Jahurul Islam, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Nasir Hossain, Mashrafe Mortaza, Abdur Razzak, Elias Sunny, Nazmul Hossain, Shafiul Islam, Shahadat Hossain, Anamul Haque.

Afganistan

Mohammad Nabi Esakhil (C), Mohammad Shehzad (WK), Noor Ali Zadran, Karim Sadiq, Nawroz Mangal, Mohammad Asghar Stanikzai, Samiullah Shinwari, Rehmat Shah Zurmati, Mirwais Ashraf, Fazal Niazai, Hamza Hotak, Hamid Hassan, Shapoor Zadran, Dawlat Zadran, Najibullah Zadran.