Wolvaardt dethrones Mandhana to become new ODI No.1 women’s batter

Dubai, Nov 4 Smriti Mandhana’s reign at the top of the ICC Women’s ODI batting rankings has come to an end, as South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt has climbed to No.1 after a record-breaking Cricket World Cup campaign in India.

Wolvaardt’s sensational form throughout the tournament - highlighted by back-to-back centuries in the semi-final and final - powered her to the summit of the rankings.

The 25-year-old amassed a staggering 571 runs, the most ever scored in a single edition of the Women’s World Cup, and her efforts were rewarded with a two-spot jump to the top position and a career-high rating of 814.

Mandhana, who had held the No.1 spot throughout the tournament and was also named in the Team of the Tournament, now sits just behind Wolvaardt in second place with 811 rating points.

Despite the slip, Mandhana’s consistent performances, including a string of match-defining innings that helped India lift their maiden Women’s World Cup title, ensured she remains among the world’s elite.

Australia’s Ellyse Perry also broke into the top 10 after a knock of 77 in the semi-final, moving to joint seventh on 669 points, where she shares the spot with New Zealand’s Sophie Devine, who recently announced her retirement from the format.

There was plenty to cheer for India beyond Mandhana’s dominance. Jemimah Rodrigues’ match-winning hundred against Australia in the semi-final in Navi Mumbai saw her enter the top 10 for the first time in her career. Young opener Phoebe Litchfield, too, made waves, climbing 13 spots to a career-best 13th (637) after her century in the same game.

In the bowling rankings, South Africa’s Marizanne Kapp surged to second place after her devastating spell of 5 for 20 against England in the semi-final, closing in on England’s Sophie Ecclestone for the top spot. Kapp now sits on a rating of 712, while Australia’s Annabel Sutherland and Kim Garth made one-spot jumps to sixth and seventh, respectively. India’s Shree Charani also made a significant leap, climbing seven spots to 23rd (511) after taking three crucial wickets across the knockout stages.

Meanwhile, World Cup Player of the Tournament Deepti Sharma continued her steady rise in the all-rounder rankings, moving up to fourth (392) after contributing seven wickets and 82 runs across the semi-final and final. She overtook Sutherland (388) in the process. South Africa’s Nadine de Klerk also made gains, climbing two spots to 10th (262) following her three wickets in the closing stages of the competition.

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