Dubai, May 13 || 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.