Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma has achieved a major career milestone by rising to the number one position in the ICC T20I bowlers’ rankings for the first time. Her ascent comes after an impressive performance in the opening match of India’s home T20I series against Sri Lanka in Visakhapatnam.
Deepti delivered a tight and effective spell, conceding just 20 runs and picking up a wicket in her four overs, playing a crucial role in India’s comfortable eight-wicket victory. This performance earned her five valuable rating points, allowing her to overtake Australia’s Annabel Sutherland, who had been holding the top spot since August. Deepti now leads the rankings with a slender one-point advantage, underlining how competitive the race for the top position has become in women’s T20I cricket.
Shifts At TheTop Of ODI Batting Rankings
While Deepti celebrated her rise in the T20I bowling chart, the ODI batting rankings also witnessed an important change. South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt reclaimed the number one position, pushing India’s Smriti Mandhana down to second place. Wolvaardt’s return to the top was powered by a stellar performance in South Africa’s three-match ODI series against Ireland at home.
The Proteas skipper scored centuries in the final two matches of the series, guiding her team to a dominant 3-0 sweep. Her consistent run-scoring helped her achieve a career-best rating, which proved enough to surpass Mandhana, who had only recently taken over the top spot. This shift highlights the fine margins at the elite level and the impact of big performances in high-pressure series.
Notable Gains For India, South Africa, And Ireland
The latest rankings update brought encouraging news for several players across teams. Indian pacer Arundhati Reddy climbed five places to reach 36th among T20I bowlers after her contribution against Sri Lanka. Jemimah Rodrigues emerged as one of the biggest movers in the T20I batting list, rising five spots to ninth overall. Her unbeaten half-century in the same match earned her the Player of the Match award and helped her break into the top 10, alongside fellow Indians Smriti Mandhana, who sits third, and Shafali Verma, ranked tenth.
South Africa’s Sune Luus also made progress, moving up seven places to 34th in the ODI batting rankings and jumping 11 spots to 22nd among ODI all-rounders after strong all-round displays against Ireland. Ireland, despite the series loss, saw positive movement as Arlene Kelly improved to 27th among ODI bowlers, while batters Gaby Lewis and Amy Hunter also climbed the rankings, reflecting their growing impact on the international stage.
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