Sadia Iqbal headlines ICC Women’s T20I Player Rankings

Spinner Sadia Iqbal of Pakistan became the first player from her nation to be ranked #1 in the ICC Women’s T20I Rankings when she momentarily passed long-standing leader Sophie Ecclestone and went on to rank second among bowlers in the weekly update, which is released on Tuesdays.

Since February 2020, Ecclestone has held the top rank in the ongoing ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. In a Group A match on Thursday against Sri Lanka, Sadia took three for 17 to tie her for 757 rating points. Two days later Ecclestone lost to Bangladesh in a Group B match without taking a wicket, falling to second place with 750 points.

Sadia’s dominance, however, was short-lived as Ecclestone ended the week’s thrilling back-and-forth between the two left-arm spinners with a two-for-15 score against South Africa, earning Player of the Match honours and reclaiming the top rank.

Sadia Iqbal is only the second player from Pakistan to be ranked #1 in the women’s division. In 2018–2019, Sana Mir, a former captain, topped the ODI bowling rankings.

Following the England-South Africa match, there were other noteworthy changes as well. Tazmin Brits and Laura Wolvaardt, the opening scorers for South Africa, each moved up two spots to equal career-best rankings.

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With scores of 52 not out against the West Indies and 42 against England, Captain Wolvaardt secured the third spot, while the British team secured the sixth spot with scores of 57 not out against the West Indies and 13 against England.

Some other movements over the past week:

ICC Women’s T20I Batting Rankings:

• Suzie Bates of New Zealand is up two places to seventh.
• Harmanpreet Kaur of India is up four places to joint-12th.
• England’s Dannie Wyatt is up two places to joint-18th.
• England’s Natalie Sciver-Brunt is up one place to joint-18th.
• England’s Amy Jones is up two places to 27th.
• Pakistan’s Muneeba Ali is up one place to 35th.
• Pakistan’s Nida Dar is up three places to 37th.
• South Africa’s Marizanne Kapp is up six places to 44th.
• Pakistan’s Fatima Sana is up 12 places to 63rd.

ICC Women’s T20I Bowling Rankings:

• Sarah Glenn of England is up one place to third.
• Ashleigh Gardner of Australia is up three places to sixth.
• Rabeya Khan of Bangladesh is up one place to ninth.
• Megan Schutt of Australia is up nine places to 10th.
• Charlie Dean of England is up two places to 11th.
• Nonkululeko Mlaba of South Africa is up nine places to 13th.
• Annabell Sutherland of Australia is up two places to 18th.
• Lea Tuhuhu of New Zealand is up five places to 22nd.
• Sugandika Kumari of Sri Lanka is up one place to 25th.
• Marizanne Kapp of South Africa is up eight places to 26th.
• Shreyanka Patil of India is up nine places to 29th.
• Sophie Molineux of Australia is up 20 places to 40th.
• Chamari Athapaththu of Sri Lanka is up five places to 42nd.
• Fahima Khatun of Bangladesh is up 13 places to 45th.

ICC Women’s T20I All-Rounders’ Rankings:

• Amelia Kerr of New Zealand is up one place to third.
• Marizanne Kapp of South Africa is up two places to seventh.
• Fatima Sana of Pakistan is up six places to 12th.