Now Reading: Wolvaardt Reclaims No. 1 as Mandhana Slips in Women’s ODI Rankings
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Wolvaardt Reclaims No. 1 as Mandhana Slips in Women’s ODI Rankings
The top spot in Women’s ODI batting has changed hands. Smriti Mandhana’s quiet run against Zimbabwe in Vadodara has cost her the No. 1 ranking, and South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt has pounced to reclaim it. Meanwhile, centuries from Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma triggered big jumps in the latest ICC update.
Mandhana Slips, Wolvaardt Returns to the Summit
India captain Smriti Mandhana has lost her place at the top of the ODI batting charts after a tough start to the home series. She made just 32 in the opening match and was dismissed for a duck in the second ODI.
Those back-to-back low scores cost her valuable rating points. That was enough for Laura Wolvaardt to move back to No. 1 in the latest ICC rankings.
India had already sealed the three-match series by winning both completed games. The rankings still show how quickly the top of the table can shift, even when a team is dominating.
Harmanpreet and Deepti Shine With Centuries
While Mandhana struggled, two of India’s senior names made the most of the second ODI. Former India captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma each struck a century, and both were rewarded in the rankings.
Deepti’s All-Round Rise
Deepti’s gains went well beyond batting. She climbed four places to 23rd among ODI batters. She also rose two spots to fourth in the all-rounders’ list and moved up one place to eighth among ODI bowlers.
Harmanpreet Moves Into the Top 10
Harmanpreet advanced two places to eighth in the ODI batting rankings. That puts her firmly among the elite batters in the format.
Rawal, Gaud and Zimbabwe’s Risers
The most striking leap among Indian players came from young batter Pratika Rawal. She jumped seven places to a career-best 21st in the ODI batting charts. Pacer Kranti Gaud also progressed, moving up two places to 25th among ODI bowlers.
Zimbabwe’s players found some positives too. Beloved Biza made the biggest jump of the trio, rising 16 places to 56th. Modester Mupachikwa climbed five places to 39th, and Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano gained four spots to 47th.
| Player | Category | Movement | New Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laura Wolvaardt | ODI batting | Back to top | 1 |
| Harmanpreet Kaur | ODI batting | Up 2 | 8 |
| Pratika Rawal | ODI batting | Up 7 | 21 |
| Deepti Sharma | ODI batting | Up 4 | 23 |
| Deepti Sharma | ODI all-rounders | Up 2 | 4 |
| Deepti Sharma | ODI bowling | Up 1 | 8 |
| Kranti Gaud | ODI bowling | Up 2 | 25 |
| Modester Mupachikwa | ODI batting | Up 5 | 39 |
| Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano | ODI batting | Up 4 | 47 |
| Beloved Biza | ODI batting | Up 16 | 56 |
T20I Rankings: Shafali and Mandhana Gain
Indian players also moved up in the T20I rankings after the Zimbabwe series. Shafali Verma advanced one place to third among T20I batters. Mandhana climbed one spot to fourth in that format, despite her ODI setback.
Australia and New Zealand Movers
Australia’s Ash Gardner jumped nine places to 19th among T20I batters after the recent series against New Zealand. Among Australian bowlers, Georgia Wareham moved up to joint seventh and Kim Garth to joint 10th.
From the New Zealand camp, Bree Illing rose six places to 17th among T20I bowlers. Nensi Patel climbed to 29th following the Trans-Tasman series.
| Player | T20I Category | Movement | New Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shafali Verma | Batting | Up 1 | 3 |
| Smriti Mandhana | Batting | Up 1 | 4 |
| Ash Gardner | Batting | Up 9 | 19 |
| Georgia Wareham | Bowling | Moved up | Joint 7 |
| Kim Garth | Bowling | Moved up | Joint 10 |
| Bree Illing | Bowling | Up 6 | 17 |
| Nensi Patel | Bowling | Climbed | 29 |
What This Means Going Forward
Mandhana’s drop is a reminder that the No. 1 spot is never secure. Two low scores were enough to hand the top ranking back to Wolvaardt.
For India, the wider picture is encouraging. Gains for Harmanpreet, Deepti, Rawal, Gaud, Shafali and Mandhana in T20Is show real depth across both formats. The race for No. 1 in ODI batting looks set to stay tight.
