Smriti Mandhana has made a big jump in the Women’s T20I rankings after a spectacular knock in the series opener against England. The Indian opener smashed her maiden T20I century, scoring 112 runs off just 62 balls, which helped her move to No. 3 in the latest ICC T20I rankings for batters.
Mandhana’s brilliant innings earned her a career-best rating of 771 points. This puts her just three points behind West Indies captain Hayley Matthews (774), who is currently second. Australia’s Beth Mooney remains firmly at the top with 794 points.
The century came in what was Mandhana’s 149th T20I appearance, underlining her consistency and determination over the years. She will reach another milestone when she plays her 150th T20I on 1 July, in the second match of the ongoing five-match series against England. She will be looking to continue the strong momentum from her record knock in the opening game.
Mandhana’s opening partner Shafali Verma, who returned to the playing XI after October 2024, scored 20 runs off 22 balls. While it wasn’t her most fluent innings, it helped her move up one place to No. 13 in the T20I rankings.
Harleen Deol, who made her return to the T20I squad after nearly a year, also made an impact. She scored a quick 43 off 23 balls, and re-entered the T20I rankings at joint 86th. Deol last played a T20I in July 2023, and her strong comeback innings could mark a fresh chapter in her international career.
On the bowling front, England’s Lauren Bell delivered a standout performance in the first T20I, taking 3 wickets for 27 runs, which helped her climb to No. 4 in the T20I bowling rankings.
Pakistan’s Sadia Iqbal currently tops the T20I bowling chart with 741 rating points, while Australia’s Annabel Sutherland is second with 736 points. Close behind is India’s Deepti Sharma, who remains consistent and holds third place with 735 points.
For the latest sports news follow- Revsportz