India all-rounder Deepti Sharma and South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt have emerged as significant gainers in the latest ICC Women’s Player Rankings, with both securing top positions.
Deepti Sharma’s Remarkable Rise
Deepti has climbed to the No.1 spot among T20I bowlers for the first time in her career, following her stellar performance in the opening match of India’s T20I series against Sri Lanka at home. Meanwhile, Wolvaardt has regained the No. 1 ranking in the ODI batters list, a position previously held by Indian star Smriti Mandhana, after the conclusion of South Africa’s ODI series against Ireland.
Australia’s Annabel Sutherland had been the top-ranked T20I bowler since August, but Deepti’s impressive figures of 1-20 from four overs against Sri Lanka in Vizag were enough to propel her to the number one spot. Deepti earned five rating points in India’s eight-wicket victory, allowing her to gain a narrow one-point lead over her Australian rival.
Improving Rankings for Teammates
Teammate Arundhati Reddy also saw an improvement, moving up five spots to 36th among T20I bowlers after the match against Sri Lanka. Additionally, Jemimah Rodrigues made significant strides on the latest T20I batter list, jumping five spots to reach ninth place overall. Rodrigues scored an unbeaten half-century, earning the Player of the Match title against Sri Lanka, and joins Mandhana (third) and Shafali Verma (10th) in the top 10 among T20I batters.
Wolvaardt Takes the Lead in ODIs
Smriti Mandhana, however, slipped to second position in the latest ODI batter rankings, while Wolvaardt reclaimed her top spot after a remarkable century in the final match of South Africa’s three-match series against Ireland. Wolvaardt scored centuries in the last two matches, helping the Proteas secure a 3-0 series victory and reaching a new career-high rating, surpassing Mandhana.
Notable Progress for South African Players
Sune Luus also made significant advancements for South Africa, climbing seven spots to 34th among ODI batters and improving 11 places to 22nd in the latest ODI all-rounders list due to her contributions with both bat and ball against Ireland.
For Ireland, Arlene Kelly gained five spots to reach 27th in the ODI bowler rankings, while teammate Gaby Lewis moved up four places to 18th, and Amy Hunter climbed three spots to 28th, reflecting notable progress in the ODI batting rankings.