Star India opener Shafali Verma and fast bowler Renuka Singh Thakur have made big strides in the latest ICC women's rankings. On the back of her stellar knocks in the ongoing T20I series against Sri Lanka, Verma has scaled four places from 10th to reach sixth in the latest updated T20I rankings for batters.
While Shafali has made a big jump in the batters' chart, her compatriot Renuka has scaled eight places in the T20I bowlers' rankings to secure a joint sixth place alongside South African spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba.
Shafali, Renuka star for India in series
Both Shafali and Renuka have been among the key performers for India in the five-match series against Sri Lanka. Shafali has scored a hat-trick of fifties, while Renuka put up a brilliant performance in the third T20I with a four-wicket haul.
Shafali scored an unbeaten 69 in the second T20I as the Women in Blue chased down 129 in Visakhapatnam. She was the Player of the Match in that clash. The opener made an unbeaten 79 in India's 113-run chase against the Sri Lankan side in the third T20I before scoring 79 again in the fourth clash as the Women in Blue scored 221/2, their highest-ever T20I score of all-time. Shafali has closed in on the World No.1 spot, currently held by Australia's Beth Mooney. With 736 ratings to her name, she is only 60 ratings behind Mooney.
Meanwhile, Renuka was the Player of the Match in the third T20I as she set up India's win in Thiruvananthapuram with her four wickets. Her 4/21 helped India bowl Sri Lanka out for 112, which the hosts easily chased down.
Deepti Sharma stays the top-ranked bowler
Meanwhile, India's star all-rounder Deepti Sharma continues to be the top-ranked T20I bowler in the world. She claimed the World No.1 spot for the first time last week after her exploits in the first T20I against the Lankan side on December 21.
Sharma continued her strong run and picked up three wickets for 18 runs in the third T20I before going wicketless in the fourth clash. The 3/18 in the third game saw her maintain her place at the top of the bowlers' rankings, and she now has 738 rating points, one more than what she had last week.
Australia fast bowler Annabel Sutherland is hot on the heels in second with a rating of 736, followed by Pakistan's Sadia Iqbal (732), Sophie Ecclestone (727) and Lauren Bell (714) rounding off the top five.
