Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma get close to top spot in batters and bowlers rankings in ICC's latest update

India opener Smriti Mandhana and off-spinning all-rounder Deepti Sharma have moved to within striking distance of the top spot for batters and bowlers, respectively, after the latest weekly update to the MRF Tyres ICC Women’s T20I Player Rankings.

Mandhana, who has been a top-ranked batter in ODIs, has moved up one slot to a career-best-equaling second position in T20Is after scoring an unbeaten 51 off 25 balls that guided her team to an eight-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the final of the Asia Cup in Sylhet, Bangladesh. Mandhana is on 730 rating points, 13 points separating her from top-ranked Beth Mooney of Australia.

Sharma has also moved to a career-best second position after conceding only seven runs off four overs in the final, following a haul of three for seven against Thailand in an earlier match of the tournament. Deepti, who finished as the joint-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 13 scalps, has reached 742 rating points, 14 less than England spinner Sophie Ecclestone.

Renuka Singh moved up five places to climb to 3rd position

India seam bowler Renuka Singh, who was named Player of the Match in the final for her haul of three for five, has moved up five places to a career-best third position while Sneh Rana is also at a career-best 10th position after gaining five slots.

India opener Shafali Verma (up one place to seventh) and captain Harmanpreet Kaur (up three places to 14th) have also gained in the latest update while left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad (up 15 places to 17th) has progressed in the bowlers’ list.

Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof, who scored 42 off 41 against Sri Lanka, has gained three slots to reach 29th position while all-rounder Nida Dar has moved up one slot to 38th among batters and to seventh in the list of all-rounders.

Former Sri Lanka captain Inoka Ranaweera is joint-15th with Rana while Pakistan spinner Nashra Sundhu has gained 15 slots to reach 29th position. Thipatcha Putthawong of Thailand and Sadia Iqbal of Pakistan are other bowlers to gain while the United Arab Emirates’ Theertha Sathish and Thailand’s Naruemol Chaiwai have progressed in the batters’ list.