India's Smriti Mandhana returned to the top of ICC ODI batter Rankings with her robust knock of 58 runs from 63 deliveries against Australia in the first ODI of the three-match series. Though her inning would end up going in vain as Australia recorded a comfortable 8-wicket victory, it was enough to see her pip England's Nat Sciver-Brunt on the rankings and reclaim the top spot. The left-hand batter currently has 735 rating points under h er name in comparison to Sciver-Brunt's 731.
During the match, Mandhana provided India with a strong start alongside fellow opener Pratika Rawal. Both of them went on to score half-centuries and formed a massive partnership of 114 runs. Mandhana would be the one to get dismissed first as a mix-up resulted in Australia's Phoebe Litchfield running her out. Her gritty inning included six boundaries and two maximums.
India would eventually finish their 50 overs on a strong total of 281/7, however it didn't prove to be enough at the end of the day. Australia absolutely dominated with the bat as both Litchfield (88) and Beth Mooney (77*) played brilliant knocks. They were assisted well by Annabel Sutherland, who remained unbeaten on 54 and led the side to an easy win. The victory saw them take an important 1-0 lead in the series.
On the other hand, other India batters also made significant gains on the ODI batter rankings with Pratika climbing four spots and reaching the 42nd position. Harleen Deol, who played an important knock of 54, rose on the rankings and ended up on the 43rd spot. Australia batters also made big gains as Mooney reached the fifth spot after jumping three places while both Litchfield (up four spots) and Sutherland (up 13 places) shared the 25th position after their half-centuries against India.
Mandhana gearing up for ODI World Cup
Meanwhile, reclaiming the No.1 spot will definitely be a major confidence booster for Mandhana, who will soon be featuring in the Women's ODI World Cup. The mega tournament is set to commence from September 30 with the clash between India and Sri Lanka. She had first held the premier position on the rankings in 2019 and had two more stints at the top in 2023.