Sports,: BIG STRIDES BY INDIA & SOUTH AFRICA STARS IN ICC WOMEN’S T…

BIG STRIDES BY INDIA & SOUTH AFRICA STARS IN ICC WOMEN’S T20I RANKINGS

Shafali Verma, Harmanpreet Kaur and South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt headline major gains in ICC Women’s T20I rankings after the opening matches, while Bangladesh’s Sharmin Akt

Asian Media Network | Published on: Apr 22, 2026, 8:09 AM

Sports,

Durban/Johannesburg:

BIG STRIDES BY INDIA & SOUTH AFRICA STARS IN ICC WOMEN’S T20I RANKINGS

Players from India and South Africa have made notable gains in the latest ICC Women’s T20I Player Rankings, following an action-packed start to their ongoing five-match series.

India’s explosive opener Shafali Verma climbed two places to sixth in the batting rankings after a brisk 38-ball 57 in the second T20I at Durban. Despite her aggressive knock, South Africa secured a comfortable eight-wicket victory, taking a 2-0 lead in the series.

The rise of Verma has slightly reshuffled the top order, pushing West Indies captain Hayley Matthews up one place to third. Meanwhile, India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur moved up two spots to joint 11th after her unbeaten 47 in the opening match.

South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt continues to shine with the bat, emerging as the leading run-scorer of the series with 105 runs, including back-to-back fifties. She retains her fifth position in the rankings.

Among other notable movers, South Africa’s Annerie Dercksen surged 18 places to 33rd after an unbeaten 44, while Suné Luus climbed to 35th, achieving a career-best rating following her solid half-century. All-round performances also made an impact. Chloe Tryon jumped to joint 11th among all-rounders, improving her positions in both batting and bowling rankings after contributing with both bat and ball.

In the bowling charts, left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba moved up to joint sixth after an economical spell at Kingsmead. Fast bowler Ayabonga Khaka rose eight places to 25th, while Tumi Sekhukhune made a massive leap of 23 spots to 55th, emerging as the leading wicket-taker in the series so far.

Bangladesh Star Shines in ODI Rankings

In the ODI rankings, Bangladesh’s Sharmin Akter made headlines after her match-winning 86-run knock helped her team secure a historic first-ever ODI victory over Sri Lanka in Rajshahi. Her performance lifted her seven places to 22nd, marking a career-best rating.

The rankings reshuffle reflects strong individual performances as teams build momentum ahead of crucial international fixtures, with the India-South Africa series now shifting to Johannesburg for the remaining matches.