Star spinner Sadia Iqbal created history by becoming the first Pakistani bowler to top the ICC Women's T20I Bowler Rankings. However, her stay at the top didn't last long. She briefly surpassed long-time leader England's Sophie Ecclestone before finishing second in the latest update.
Sadia Iqbal's stay at top of ICC Women's T20I Bowler Rankings didn't last long
Sophie Ecclestone, who had held the top spot since February 2020, entered the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 as the number one bowler. However, Sadia's impressive performance against Sri Lanka, where she took three wickets for 17 runs, propelled her to the same rating points as Ecclestone.
Few days back, Ecclestone's wicketless performance against Bangladesh caused her to slip to second place with 750 rating points. This brief drop allowed Sadia to claim the top spot for a short time.
Sophie Ecclestone, who had held the top spot in the ICC Women's T20I Bowler Rankings since February 2020, started the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 as the number one bowler. Sadia Iqbal, a left-arm spinner from Pakistan, drew level with Ecclestone on 757 rating points after a stellar performance against Sri Lanka, where she took three wickets for 17 runs.
However, Ecclestone regained the top spot just two days later. After going wicketless against Bangladesh, Ecclestone took two wickets for 15 runs against South Africa, winning the Player of the Match award and reclaiming the top spot. This ended an intriguing battle between the two left-arm spinners for the top ranking.
Sadia Iqbal became only the second Pakistani player to reach the top of the women's bowling rankings. Previously, former captain Sana Mir had held the top spot in the ODI bowling rankings from 2018 to 2019.
Laura Wolvaardt leads the way in T20I batting rankings
Laura Wolvaardt, the leading run-scorer at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup, has climbed two places to third in the latest T20I batting rankings. While Australian batters Beth Mooney and Tahlia McGrath maintain their top spots, Wolvaardt is making significant strides towards the number one position.
Several other players have also seen improvements in their rankings. Tazmin Brits of South Africa has moved up two spots to sixth, and Suzie Bates of New Zealand has climbed to seventh. Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of the Indian team, jumped four places to tie for twelfth after a strong performance against Pakistan.
Also, Danni Wyatt-Hodge of England has moved up two spots to equal 18th. Nida Dar, a veteran Pakistani cricketer, has climbed three places to reach 37th. Sarah Bryce of Scotland has improved by two spots to 41st, and Marizanne Kapp of South Africa has jumped six places to 44th among batters.
Meanwhile, In the T20I all-rounder rankings, West Indies captain Hayley Matthews continues to lead. New Zealand's Amelia Kerr has moved up one spot to third, while Marizanne Kapp has climbed two places to finish in seventh.
