Smriti Mandhana Tops ICC Women's ODI Rankings After Stellar Performance

Mandhana Reclaims Top Spot in ICC Rankings

New Delhi, December 16: Smriti Mandhana of India has ascended to the number one position in the latest ICC Women’s ODI Player Rankings, overtaking South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt as the leading batter globally.

Recent matches have seen players from South Africa and Ireland making significant strides in the rankings. The South African team achieved a remarkable seven-wicket victory in the series opener held in East London, with Sune Luus and Miane Smit both scoring half-centuries, successfully chasing down a target of 210 runs in just 37 overs, according to the ICC.

Following her impressive performance, Sune Luus climbed five spots to joint 31st in the ODI batting rankings. Meanwhile, Mandhana surpassed Wolvaardt, who scored 31 runs in the match, to reclaim her top position.

Mandhana maintained her rating at 811 points this week, while Wolvaardt's score decreased from 814 to 806 after South Africa's win over Ireland.

Luus also made notable progress, moving up 10 places to 33rd in the ODI all-rounders' rankings. For Ireland, Orla Prendergast and Laura Delany were among the top performers, with Prendergast rising one spot to 10th and Delany climbing three places to tie for 16th.

Prendergast also improved her standing among ODI bowlers, moving up two spots to 34th after her bowling figures of 1/34. Other teammates, including Arlene Kelly (up one to 32nd), Cara Murray (up four to tie for 49th), and Laura Delany (up four to 67th), also made gains.

In the same match, right-arm seamer Tumi Sekhukhune took two wickets against Ireland, resulting in her moving up seven places to 78th in the ODI bowling rankings.