Mandhana sets eyes on double top-spot honours in ICC rankings

Smriti Mandhana file image. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS)


India’s star opener Smriti Mandhana is within touching distance of top spot of both the T20I and ODI batting rankings after strong performances against the West Indies across both formats.

The elegant southpaw sits in second in both categories after the latest update on Tuesday, with her ODI rating of 739 only bettered by Laura Wolvaardt 773, and her T20I rating of 753 narrowly shaved by Beth Mooney’s 757.

Mandhana made 62 and 77 in the two T20Is for the week to move up to No.2, completing a trifecta of half-centuries against Hayley Matthews’ team in as many matches.

The 28-year-old went on to make 91 in the opening ODI in Vadodara, and now boasts half centuries in her last five visits to the crease in international action.

On the opposing side, Matthews too showed her class with bat in hand, with scores of 85 and 22 in the two T20Is across the week, leading to a two-spot jump to equal-third on the Rankings, level with Tahlia McGrath with a rating of 748.

The bottom half of the ODI batting top-10 meanwhile saw multiple shuffles, as ICC Women’s Championship action played out across the world. The tight margins between players meant Harmanpreet Kaur’s 34 in Vadodara was enough to jump three spots into equal-tenth (631) alongside Tammy Beaumont, while Australian Alyssa Healy’s scores of 39 and 34 against New Zealand saw the opener up two spots to the eighth place with a rating of 640.

Compatriot Annabel Sutherland enjoyed arguably the most noteworthy jump of the week, with scores of 105 and 42 leading to an 11-spot climb to 18th (563 rating points). The right-arm quick went on to claim 3/39 in the third ODI to see her move up two spots into 7th on the All-Rounder rankings (301), moving past Sophie Devine and Chamari Athapaththu.

Among the bowlers, Renuka Singh’s 5 for 29 in Vadodara led to a six-spot jump to 20th (497).