Dubai, Aug 12: India's star all-rounder Deepti Sharma has climbed to second place in the latest ICC Women's T20I bowling rankings, inching closer to the top
spot. Deepti, with 732 rating points, now shares the No.2 position with Pakistan's Sadia Iqbal and trails Australia's Annabel Sutherland by just four points.
Sutherland, who became the No.1 ranked T20I bowler for the first time, leads with 736 points despite not featuring in the format since March, when she took a four-wicket haul against New Zealand. Her position remained intact as several bowlers near the top lost rating points over the past week.
Iqbal, on the other hand, slipped from the top after managing only three wickets in Pakistan's 1-2 series defeat to Ireland, losing crucial points in the process.
Deepti continues to maintain her third-place position in the T20I all-rounders' rankings with 387 points, behind West Indies captain Hayley Matthews (505) and New Zealand's Amelia Kerr (434).
In the batting charts, stylish Indian opener Smriti Mandhana dropped one spot to second with 728 points, allowing England's Nat Sciver-Brunt (731) to take the top position. India captain Harmanpreet Kaur made significant progress, jumping 10 places to reach 11th, just outside the top 10.
The latest rankings also brought good news for Ireland's in-form all-rounder Orla Prendergast, who has climbed to a career-best 19th in the T20I player standings. Prendergast played a pivotal role in Ireland's 2-1 series win over Pakistan, amassing 144 runs at an average of 72 and picking up four wickets. Her stellar performances earned her the Player of the Series award.
With the ICC Women's T20 World Cup on the horizon, these ranking shifts underline the growing competition among the world's best, as players from multiple nations jostle for the top positions across formats.
