Smriti Mandhana Shines in ICC Women’s T20I Rankings
India’s vice-captain, Smriti Mandhana, has once again proved her mettle in the T20 format, maintaining her impressive No.2 position in the latest ICC Women’s T20I batting rankings. Released on Tuesday, the rankings also saw skipper Harmanpreet Kaur rise to the 14th spot after a solid performance.
Mandhana stands as India’s top batter in T20Is, while Shafali Verma remains steady at sixth place in the top ten. Jemimah Rodrigues is also in the race, holding joint 11th position just outside the elite group.
In the women’s bowling rankings, Deepti Sharma has made progress, moving up one slot to third. The all-rounder also ranks third in the all-rounders’ category. Pace bowler Renuka Singh Thakur is stable in sixth position, while Arundhati Reddy has slipped to 11th.
This update also highlighted some exciting shifts globally, as Australia’s Georgia Voll entered the top 10 in batting for the first time. New Zealand’s Sophie Devine climbed to 18th after scoring back-to-back half-centuries against South Africa.
A remarkable achievement was celebrated as Rwanda’s young talent, Fanny Utagushimaninde, made her debut by becoming the first woman to score a century on her T20I debut, marking her place at 66th in the rankings.
South Africa’s emerging star, Annerie Dercksen, the ICC Emerging Player of the Year 2024, leaped 18 places to 55th following a strong unbeaten 55 in New Zealand. Other notable gainers include Australia’s veteran Ellyse Perry, who climbed to 20th, and West Indies’ Qiana Joseph, now at the 33rd spot.
In bowling, South Africa’s Nonkululeko Mlaba entered the top ten, rising to ninth, while Australia’s Georgia Wareham improved to 12th. New Zealand’s Jess Kerr reached a career-best 15th position after an impressive performance against South Africa, alongside other players like Ayabonga Khaka and Kim Garth, who also saw significant improvements in the rankings.
Stay tuned for more updates on the thrilling world of women’s cricket!
