India skipper Smriti Mandhana has surrendered her position at the summit of the Women's ODI batting rankings after a difficult start to the home series
against Zimbabwe in Vadodara. South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt has moved back to No. 1 in the ODI batting charts after Mandhana shed valuable rating points, having managed just 32 in the opening match before being dismissed for a duck in the second ODI. India had already clinched the three-match series by winning both completed games, yet Mandhana's back-to-back low scores proved sufficient for Wolvaardt to reclaim the top position in the latest ICC rankings update.
How did Harmanpreet and Deepti benefit from the Zimbabwe series?
While Mandhana endured a lean run with the bat, former India captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma capitalised on their opportunities in the second ODI, each striking a century to earn notable ranking rewards. Harmanpreet advanced two places to eighth among ODI batters, while Deepti moved up four spots to 23rd in the same category. Deepti's gains were not confined to batting alone: she climbed two places to fourth in the ODI all-rounders' list and rose one spot to eighth among ODI bowlers.
India pacer Kranti Gaud also made progress, moving up two places to 25th in the ODI bowling rankings. The most striking individual leap among Indian players came from young batter Pratika Rawal, who jumped seven spots to reach a career-best 21st in the ODI batting charts. Zimbabwe players registered movement as well: Modester Mupachikwa climbed five places to 39th, Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano gained four spots to 47th, and Beloved Biza made the biggest jump among the trio, rising 16 places to 56th in the ODI batting rankings.
Which other players moved in the T20I rankings?
Indian players also recorded gains in the T20I rankings following the conclusion of their series against Zimbabwe. Shafali Verma advanced one place to third among T20I batters, while Mandhana climbed one spot to fourth in that format despite her ODI setback.
Elsewhere, Australia's Ash Gardner jumped nine places to 19th among T20I batters after the recent series against New Zealand, with Australian bowlers Georgia Wareham and Kim Garth moving up to joint seventh and joint 10th respectively in the T20I bowling charts. From the New Zealand camp, Bree Illing rose six places to 17th among T20I bowlers, while Nensi Patel climbed to 29th following the Trans-Tasman series.
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India's gains across both formats underline the depth of talent in the squad even as Mandhana's ODI ranking dip serves as a reminder of how quickly the standings can shift at the top.
