India are number one,Dhoni hopes it8217;s just the beginning

India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni received the ICC Shield for finishing as the No. 1 ODI team in the Championship table on the April 1,2013 cut-off date. In a simple ceremony at the Swalec Stadium,former ICC president David Morgan presented Dhoni a silver salver and a cheque for USD 175,000. The brief ceremony took place a few metres away from where the Indians were training ahead of Tuesday8217;s warm-up match against Australia.

India 119 points still retain the top spot going into the Champions Trophy starting on June 6. Australia 116 and South Africa 113 are No. 2 and No. 3,respectively. 8220;I am very proud of this huge achievement,as being number-one is a reward for all of us,but hopefully it is just the beginning. You have to be consistent to be ranked number-one and I think we have reached that level of consistency over a period of time. We have performed very well and I am very proud of what the guys have achieved,8221; said Dhoni.

Ahead of the team8217;s departure for the Champions Trophy in England,Dhoni had kept mum on the spot-fixing scandal during a press conference in Mumbai. He didn8217;t speak about the issue here,but made a slightly cryptic reference to how the team would need to conduct themselves on the field as the number one ODI side.

8220;Being number-one in the world brings with it a certain respect for the game itself and for the way in which we play the game and conduct ourselves on the field,8221; Dhoni said.