Daijiworld Media Network - Dubai
Dubai, Dec 30: India opener Shafali Verma’s return to peak form has been rewarded with a significant jump in the latest ICC Women’s T20I Batter Rankings, as her consistent performances against Sri Lanka lifted her to sixth place.
The aggressive right-hander climbed four spots following a prolific run in the ongoing T20I series, moving closer to the summit she once occupied in 2020. Shafali remains only the second Indian woman cricketer, after Mithali Raj, to have reached the No. 1 ranking in T20I batting.
Her rise comes on the back of sustained excellence across formats. Shafali had already underlined her resurgence with a match-defining display in last month’s ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup final, scoring 87 runs and picking up two wickets to help India clinch their maiden 50-over world title.
That momentum has seamlessly carried into the shortest format. Against Sri Lanka, Shafali has been in imperious form, registering three half-centuries and emerging as the leading run-scorer of the series. She now trails top-ranked Australian batter Beth Mooney by just 60 rating points, highlighting her growing influence in T20I cricket.
India’s upward movement in the rankings has not been limited to Shafali alone. Wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh made a notable leap, jumping seven places to joint 20th after her unbeaten 40 in the fourth T20I, which proved decisive in India’s victory.
The bowlers, too, have made strong gains. Fast bowler Renuka Singh surged eight spots into the top six of the T20I bowler rankings following a four-wicket haul in the third match. Left-arm spinner Shree Charani climbed 17 places to 52nd, while debutant Vaishnavi Sharma produced one of the biggest jumps, soaring 390 spots to reach 124th after her first international series.
At the top of the charts, Deepti Sharma continues to dominate the T20I bowling rankings, while West Indies captain Hayley Matthews remains firmly placed as the leading all-rounder.
Sri Lankan players also saw improvements despite the team’s struggles. Opener Hasini Perera jumped 114 places to 71st among batters after consistent outings, and Kavisha Dilhari moved up to 79th.
With India holding an unassailable 4-0 lead in the five-match series and eyeing a clean sweep in the final game on Tuesday, the latest rankings mirror their dominance, as Indian batters and bowlers continue to climb across categories.