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

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Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma has achieved a major career milestone after climbing to the No. 1 position in the latest ICC Women’s T20I bowling rankings. The update follows her disciplined performance in the opening match of India’s home T20I series against Sri Lanka, marking the first time Deepti has topped the T20I bowling charts. The latest rankings update also saw notable movement across ODI and T20I lists, with leadership changes among batters and significant gains for players from India, South Africa, and Ireland.

Deepti’s rise to the summit comes on the back of a tidy spell of 1 for 20 from four overs in Vizag, a performance that played a key role in India’s comfortable eight-wicket win over Sri Lanka. While the figures may not appear dramatic at first glance, the control and accuracy she displayed proved crucial in building pressure during the middle overs. That effort earned her five valuable rating points, enough to edge past Australia’s Annabel Sutherland, who had held the No. 1 ranking since August. Deepti now leads the standings by a slender one-point margin, underlining how competitive the race at the top has become.

Away from the T20I bowling list, South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt has returned to the summit of the ODI batting rankings. Wolvaardt overtook India’s Smriti Mandhana, who slips to second place after briefly holding the top spot. Wolvaardt’s ascent was powered by an outstanding ODI series at home against Ireland, where she struck centuries in the final two matches to seal a 3–0 series sweep. The run spree also lifted her to a new career-high rating, reaffirming her status as one of the most reliable batters in women’s cricket.

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India had several reasons to celebrate in the updated rankings beyond Deepti’s landmark achievement. Fast bowler Arundhati Reddy jumped five places to reach 36th among T20I bowlers following her contributions against Sri Lanka. In the batting charts, Jemimah Rodrigues emerged as a major mover, climbing five spots to ninth overall in T20Is. 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’s Sune Luus enjoyed a double boost after her solid all-round showing against Ireland, rising seven places to 34th in the ODI batting rankings and climbing 11 spots to 22nd among ODI all-rounders. Ireland, despite the series loss, also saw positive movement. Arlene Kelly advanced five places to 27th in the ODI bowling list, while batters Gaby Lewis and Amy Hunter registered notable jumps after consistent performances.

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This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.