Yuvraj Singh [Images] and Zaheer Khan [Images] are back in the top 20 of LG ICC [Images] ODI Player Rankings after impressive outings in Ireland.

Yuvraj scored an unbeaten 49 to level the three-match series against South Africa and then stroked a masterful 59 not out on Sunday to steer India to a six-wicket victory that gave his team a 2-1 series win.

These stellar performances moved him up two places to 19th position in the Player Rankings for ODI batsmen.

Zaheer Khan missed the side's opening game, against Ireland, but came back for the series against South Africa in which he took three wickets in as many games. It helped the 28 year-old rise two places to 20th in the Player Rankings for ODI bowlers.

Khan's new ball partner Ajit Agarkar [Images] also climbed the list, up three places to 12th position, after the Ireland leg of the tour.

India legend Sachin Tendulkar [Images] benefited from an excellent series against South Africa following a disappointing start to the tour when he scored just four against Ireland.

The 34-year-old, who became the first player in the history of the game to complete 15,000 ODI runs, moved up two places to 21st in the batting list.

Tendulkar had briefly climbed to 17th after superlative knocks of 99 and 93 in the first two games but slipped four places after Sunday's final match in which he scored eight.

India vice-captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni [Images] dropped two places through no fault of his and is now ranked sixth in the rankings for ODI batsmen.

The 25-year-old from Bihar missed the first three games of the Ireland tour because of illness before returning for the last game against South Africa in which scored 14 not out and featured in an unbroken 44-run fifth wicket stand with Yuvraj Singh. A player loses one per cent of his rating for every match he misses.

India has the chance to make progress up the LG ICC ODI Championship table in the coming weeks as it will be playing another eight ODIs before the ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa.

Rahul Dravid's [Images] side faces traditional rivals Pakistan in Glasgow on Tuesday and then plays a seven-match series against England [Images] in August and September.

England's Kevin Pietersen [Images] still occupies the top batting spot in the ODI list with Australia captain Ricky Ponting [Images] in second place.

Ponting's team-mate Nathan Bracken [Images] is Shaun Pollock's [Images] closest rival for top position in the bowling list.

There was no good news for the South Africans in the latest edition of Player Rankings.

Proteas' captain Jacques Kallis's [Images] slide down the batting list continues as he is now 12th after losing one place following the series against India. He has also dropped four places in the bowling rankings and is now placed 38th.

Graeme Smith [Images] has dropped three places to 10th after missing the Ireland tour as he recovers from knee surgery.

Makhaya Ntini [Images] is the only South African to show improvement in the LG ICC ODI Player Rankings as he has gained one place to sit in sixth place in the bowling rankings.

Ntini's team-mate Andre Nel [Images] has maintained his spot at 10th in those rankings but Andrew Hall [Images] has slipped three places to 15th position.

Complete rankings