Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma has achieved a huge milestone by moving to the top of the ICC Women’s T20I bowling rankings for the first time in her career. It has been a big moment for Indian women’s cricket, even though there was a slight shift in the ODI batting rankings where Smriti Mandhana slipped to second place as South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt returned to the top spot.
Deepti’s Impactful Spell Against Sri Lanka
Deepti’s rise comes after a brilliant outing against Sri Lanka in the opening T20I at Visakhapatnam on Sunday, December 21. She bowled with great control, giving away just 20 runs in her four overs and picking up the wicket of Hasini Perera. Her tight spell played a key role as India restricted Sri Lanka to 121.
India then chased down the target with ease, winning the match by eight wickets and still having 5.2 overs to spare.
Deepti Sharma Becomes World No. 1 in ICC Women’s T20I Bowling Rankings
Deepti Sharma reached the top of the ICC Women’s T20I bowling rankings for the first time in her career. She surpassed Australian cricketer Annabel Sutherland, with Sharma on 737 rating points, while Sutherland sits second with 736 points.
India also saw movement further down the list. Fast bowler Arundhati Reddy climbed five places to 36th following her performance in the Sri Lanka match.
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Jemimah Rodrigues Makes Big Move in Batting Rankings
There were gains for India in the batting charts as well. Jemimah Rodrigues made the biggest jump among Indian batters, moving up five places to ninth after scoring an unbeaten half-century against Sri Lanka.
India now has three players inside the top 10 of the T20I batting rankings. Smriti Mandhana is placed third, while Shafali Verma occupies the 10th position.
Latest ICC Women’s T20I Bowling Rankings Top 10
| Position | Player | Team | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deepti Sharma | India | 737 |
| 2 | Annabel Sutherland | Australia | 736 |
| 3 | Sadia Iqbal | Pakistan | 732 |
| 4 | Sophie Ecclestone | England | 727 |
| 5 | Lauren Bell | England | 714 |
| 6 | Nonkululeko Mlaba | South Africa | 705 |
| 7 | Georgia Wareham | Australia | 704 |
| 7 | Charlie Dean | England | 704 |
| 9 | Afy Fletcher | West Indies | 702 |
| 10 | Nashra Sandhu | Pakistan | 700 |
Laura Wolvaardt Reclaims Top Spot in ODI Batting Rankings
While Deepti’s achievement stood out in the T20I rankings, there was a change at the top of the ODI batting list. Laura Wolvaardt returned to the No. 1 position after a strong home series against Ireland. She scored back-to-back centuries in the final two matches and finished the series with a career-best rating of 820 points.
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Her rise pushed Smriti Mandhana down to second place, with the Indian opener now nine points behind. South Africa completed a dominant 3-0 series sweep.
Rankings Boost for South Africa and Ireland Players
South African all-rounder Sune Luus enjoyed a good jump in the rankings, climbing seven places to 34th among ODI batters. She also moved up 11 spots to 22nd in the all-rounders’ list after contributing with both bat and ball.
Ireland players also made progress. Arlene Kelly climbed five places to 27th in the ODI bowling rankings, while batters Gaby Lewis and Amy Hunter rose to 18th and 28th respectively.
Latest ICC Women’s ODI Batting Rankings Top 10
| Position | Player | Team | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Laura Wolvaardt | South Africa | 820 |
| 2 | Smriti Mandhana | India | 811 |
| 3 | Ashleigh Gardner | Australia | 738 |
| 4 | Nat Sciver-Brunt | England | 714 |
| 5 | Beth Mooney | Australia | 700 |
| 6 | Alyssa Healy | Australia | 688 |
| 7 | Sophie Devine | New Zealand | 669 |
| 7 | Ellyse Perry | Australia | 669 |
| 9 | Hayley Matthews | West Indies | 663 |
| 10 | Jemimah Rodrigues | India | 658 |
Deepti Sharma’s rise to the top of the T20I bowling rankings highlights her consistency and growing influence in the shortest format, while the latest ODI updates reflect the strong performances from South Africa and India across recent series.
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