Shafali Verma attains second position on the latest ICC T20I Rankings for Batswomen

Shafali Verma has replaced Suzie Bates in the Top 2 of the ICC Women's T20I Rankings

17-year-old Shafali Verma has inched closer to pole position in the ICC Women's T20I Rankings.

In the recently released batting charts by ICC, Verma has overtaken New Zealand's Suzie Bates to claim second position. She is only behind Australia's Beth Mooney.

Shafali Verma held third place in the rankings before the England Women played a T20I series against New Zealand Women.

Suzie Bates was in second spot, but missed the T20I series because of a shoulder injury. As a result, Bates dropped to sixth position.

Apart from Shafali Verma, Sophie Devine, Meg Lanning and Alyssa Healy also gained a place in the ICC T20I Rankings for Batswomen.

The gap between top-placed Beth Mooney and India's Shafali Verma is only four rating points currently. Shafali will have the opportunity to bag the number one position when she takes the field against South Africa Women later this month.

South Africa Women are on an Indian tour right now. The five-match ODI series is currently level at 1-1 after the first two games. The T20I series between India Women and South Africa Women will occur from March 20 to 24 in Lucknow.

Shafali Verma is not the only Indian batswoman in the Top 10 of the rankings

Smriti Mandhana holds seventh position in the rankings

While Shafali Verma is the highest-ranked Indian on the Batswomen's charts, she is not the only player from the Indian women's cricket team present in the Top 10.

Shafali's opening partner Smriti Mandhana retained her seventh position in the rankings, while Jemimah Rodrigues is at number nine.

In the bowlers' rankings, Jhulan Goswami and Poonam Yadav retained their fifth and sixth spots. Unfortunately, Shikha Pandey dropped to eighth place.

South Africa's Shabnim Ismail rose to second place, overtaking Megan Schutt and Marizanne Kapp. However, Australia's Jess Jonassen remains number one.