By Pakistan’s left-arm spinner, Sadia Iqbal, made history as the first Pakistani player to briefly top the ICC Women’s T20I Bowling Rankings, surpassing England’s Sophie Ecclestone before eventually finishing in second place in the latest rankings update.
Sadia reached the top spot after her impressive performance in the ongoing ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, where she took three wickets for 17 runs against Sri Lanka in a Group A match. This outstanding display brought her level with Ecclestone at 757 rating points. However, Sadia’s reign at the top lasted only two days as Ecclestone reclaimed her position with a Player of the Match performance, taking two wickets for 15 runs against South Africa. Ecclestone now holds 765 points, ending the close contest between the two left-arm spinners.
Sadia Iqbal’s achievement marks the second time a Pakistani woman has topped the ICC rankings; former captain Sana Mir held the top spot in the ODI bowling rankings in 2018-2019.
In other ranking updates, South African openers Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits moved up two spots each, reaching career-best-equalling rankings after strong performances. Wolvaardt now holds third place after scores of 52 not out and 42, while Brits is ranked sixth with 57 not out and 13 in recent matches.
Other notable movements include New Zealand’s Suzie Bates climbing to seventh place, India’s Harmanpreet Kaur moving up four spots to joint-12th, and Pakistan’s Muneeba Ali rising one place to 35th. Among bowlers, England’s Sarah Glenn moved up to third, while Australia’s Ashleigh Gardner climbed to sixth. Bangladesh’s Rabeya Khan is now ranked ninth, with Australia’s Megan Schutt making a big leap to 10th place.
This ranking shuffle highlights the ongoing fierce competition in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup and showcases standout performances from players across various teams.
