Shafali Verma regains top spot in ICC Women’s T20I rankings for batters, Smriti Mandhana drops to no.4

Swashbuckling Indian batter Shafali Verma has regained top position in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s T20I rankings for batters while her opening partner Smriti Mandhana has dropped a place to no.4.

Shafali gained one spot to move to the top of the rankings and has 726 points to her name. Mandhana, meanwhile, has 709 points. The Indian duo are separated by Australia’s Beth Mooney and Meg Lanning, who occupy the second and third positions respectively in the ICC Women’s T20I rankings for batters.

Another Australian, Alyssa Healy, is in sixth position with 666 points. There are two New Zealand cricketers in the top 10 as well - Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates - who have managed to hold on to their fifth and seventh positions, respectively.

Sri Lanka's Chamari Athapaththu broke into the top 10, gaining six places following an impressive performance in the Commonwealth Games Qualifiers. Athapaththu hammered 221 runs at an average of 55.25 and a strike rate of 185.71.

Athapaththu was named Player of the Series for her efforts, which also saw her claim four wickets. She now occupies eighth position in the ICC T20I women’s ranking for batters.

England's Danni Wyatt moved up three places to the 13th position after her 70-run innings against Australia in the first T20I of the Women's Ashes. Australia's Tahlia McGrath, meanwhile, climbed 29 places to reach the 28th spot. McGrath hammered an unbeaten 91 off just 49 deliveries in a chase of 170 against England in Adelaide.

ICC Women’s T20I rankings: Deepti Sharma makes gains as bowler and all-rounder

In the ICC Women’s T20I rankings for bowlers, India's Deepti Sharma gained one slot and displaced Australia's Megan Schutt from fourth place. There was no movement in the top 3. England's Sophie Ecclestone and Sarah Glenn occupy the first and second positions respectively, with South Africa's Shabnim Ismail remaining third.

There weren’t too many changes in the all-rounder rankings either. Deepti Sharma again gained one place to move to third spot. Sophie Devine and Natalie Sciver retain their no.1 and no.2 rankings respectively. Pakistan's Nida Dar and Thailand's Nattaya Boochatham gained two places to reach ninth and tenth places respectively.