Smriti Mandhana inches closer to No. 1 Women’s ODI batter

Dubai, May 13 (IANS) India’s southpaw, Smriti Mandhana, is inching closer to reclaiming the ICC Women’s ODI No.1 batter ranking — a spot she last held in 2019 — after a remarkable performance in the recently concluded tri-series involving South Africa and Sri Lanka. 

Mandhana, 28, was at her elegant best throughout the tri-series, amassing 264 runs in just five innings. Her consistency, stroke play, and temperament under pressure not only helped India clinch the title but also propelled her to No.2 in the latest ICC Women's ODI Batting Rankings.

She is now just 11 rating points behind the current leader and South Africa captain, Laura Wolvaardt, who managed only 86 runs in the same series.

Wolvaardt, though still the top-ranked ODI batter, is under serious threat from Mandhana, whose latest push signals a possible return to the summit of 50-over cricket — a position she has been consistently circling for years without quite reclaiming since her initial reign six years ago.

While Mandhana stole the headlines, several of her teammates also made notable gains in the ICC rankings update. Jemimah Rodrigues, who chipped in with valuable contributions through the series, jumped five places to 15th in the ODI batter rankings.

Spinner Sneh Rana was one of the tournament’s standout performers and was rightly named Player of the Series. With 15 wickets at an average of just 14, Rana was a constant threat, especially on spin-friendly surfaces. Her efforts saw her climb four places to joint 34th on the ICC ODI Bowler Rankings, which continues to be topped by England’s Sophie Ecclestone.

India's bowling all-rounder Deepti Sharma also impressed during the series, making significant contributions with both bat and ball. Her all-round efforts helped her rise one spot to No.5 in the ODI All-Rounder Rankings.

The tri-series wasn’t just fruitful for Indian players. Sri Lanka’s captain Chamari Athapaththu, ever the pillar of her team’s batting, also made positive strides. With 139 runs across the series, Athapaththu moved up two places to joint-seventh in the ODI batter rankings.

South Africa’s Chloe Tryon had an eventful campaign as well, making improvements across all fronts. She moved up nine spots to 18th in the ODI batter rankings. Additionally, she climbed three positions to 11th in the all-rounder rankings.

Her teammate, seam-bowling all-rounder Nadine de Klerk, also enjoyed a fruitful series, moving up to 24th among ODI bowlers and climbing four spots to 12th in the all-rounder list.