ICC Women’s T20I Rankings: Deepti Sharma dethrones Annabel Sutherland to become No.1 bowler

Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma reached a major milestone in his career after rising to first place in the last ICC T20I for Women bowling rankings. The update follows his disciplined performance in India’s home T20I series opener against Sri Lankamarking the first time that Deepti has topped the T20I bowling rankings. The latest rankings update also saw notable movements in the ODI and T20I lists, with changes in batting leadership and significant gains for players from India, South Africa and Ireland.

Deepti Sharma becomes No.1 bowler in T20I for the first time

Deepti’s rise to the top followed a fine run of 1 for 20 from four overs in Vizag, a performance which played a key role in India’s comfortable eight-wicket win over Sri Lanka. Although the numbers may not seem dramatic at first glance, the control and precision she showed proved crucial in building pressure during the intermediates. The effort earned them five valuable ranking points, enough to overtake Australia. Annabel Sutherlandwhich had held first place since August. Deepti now leads the standings by a small point, highlighting just how competitive the race to the top has become.

Laure Wolvaardt reclaims ODI batting crown

Away from T20I bowling list, South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt returned to the top of the ODI batting rankings. Wolvaardt overtakes India Smriti Mandhanawhich slips to second place after briefly holding first place. Wolvaardt’s rise was propelled by an outstanding ODI series at home against Ireland, where she hit centuries in the final two matches to seal a 3-0 series sweep. The running frenzy also propelled her to a new career high, reaffirming her status as one of the most reliable hitters in women’s cricket.

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Indian players enjoy overall gains

India had several reasons to celebrate in the updated rankings, beyond Deepti’s historic achievement. Fast bowler Arundhati Reddy jumped five places to 36th among T20I bowlers following his contributions against Sri Lanka. In the batting charts, Rodrogus votes became a major mover, climbing five places to reach ninth in the overall T20I rankings. Her unbeaten half-century in Vizag earned her the Player of the Match award and propelled her into the top 10, where she now joins Mandhana and Shafali Verma among the elite.

South Africa Sleep in the bones enjoyed a double boost after his strong all-round performance against Ireland, climbing seven places to 34th in the ODI batting rankings and climbing 11 places to 22nd among ODI all-rounders. Ireland, despite the series defeat, also experienced positive developments. Arlene Kelly moved up five places to 27th in the ODI bowling list, while batters Gaby Lewis And Amy Hunter recorded notable jumps after consistent performance.

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This article was first published on WomenCricket.comA Cricket Schedules business.