Johannesburg: Indian opener Shafali Verma has climbed two positions to sixth place in the ICC Women’s T20I Batting Rankings following her impressive 38-ball 57 in the second T20I in Durban, according to a recent media release by the International Cricket Council. Her significant progress comes as South Africa leads the five-match series 2-0, having secured an eight-wicket victory in the same match where Verma excelled.
Verma’s notable innings, featuring two sixes and four fours, contributed to her personal elevation, though it was insufficient to prevent her team”s defeat. The hosts initially commenced the series with a six-wicket win, and the subsequent fixtures are now relocating from Durban to Johannesburg. Verma”s rise has consequently led to West Indies’ skipper Hayley Matthews moving a single spot to third place, according to ICC report today.
India”s captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, was also acknowledged for her unbeaten 47 from 33 deliveries in the initial match, securing a two-slot improvement to joint 11th in the batting standings.
South Africa’s captain, Laura Wolvaardt, currently stands as the series” leading run-scorer, accumulating 105 runs through scores of 51 and 54 in the first two encounters. She maintains her steady fifth position among batters.
Other players from South Africa experiencing upward mobility include Annerie Dercksen and Suné Luus. Dercksen surged 18 places to 33rd after her unbeaten 44 in the second fixture, while Luus”s contribution of 57 from 46 balls propelled her from 43rd to 35th, achieving a career-best 508 rating points.
Among all-rounders, Chloe Tryon of South Africa demonstrated her prowess with an unbeaten 18 in the first match and a commendable three for 22 in the second. These performances saw her advance four spots to joint-11th in the all-rounders’ list, gain one position to 59th among batters, and move up three places to 38th among bowlers.
In the ICC Women’s T20I Bowling Rankings, left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba ascended to joint-sixth place after taking one for 17 in the second match held at her home stadium in Kingsmead. Additionally, Ayabonga Khaka has progressed eight places to 25th, having claimed three wickets for 16 in the opening match. Tumi Sekhukhune, the series’ leading wicket-taker, made a substantial leap of 23 slots to 55th, securing figures of two for 27 and three for 31.
Separately, in the ODI Player Rankings, Bangladesh’s Sharmin Akter made significant strides. Her innings of 86 from 127 balls was pivotal in her side registering their inaugural ODI victory over Sri Lanka in the opener of the three-match ICC Women’s Championship series in Rajshahi, Bangladesh. Akter’s efforts at the venue, which hosted its first-ever international match, were rewarded with a seven-slot climb to 22nd place in the batters’ list, achieving a personal best of 582 ratings points.