India’s left-arm spinner Sree Charani has achieved the top spot in the ICC Women’s T20I Bowling Rankings for the first time. This recognition follows her outstanding performance in the ongoing ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, where she emerged as the leading wicket-taker, surpassing England’s Linsey Smith.
Charani, a 21-year-old rising star, has swiftly climbed the rankings since her international debut a year ago. Her exceptional bowling in England has established her as India’s key bowling asset, with an impressive tally of 10 wickets in just three World Cup matches.
Her ascent to the top was fueled by consecutive match-winning spells. Notably, she secured a four-wicket haul against the Netherlands in Leeds and followed it up with a three-wicket display against South Africa in Manchester. These performances earned her enough rating points to overtake Smith and claim the top spot in women’s T20I bowling.
England’s Linsey Smith slipped to third place after a subdued start to the World Cup, while her teammate Charlie Dean moved up to second position with a five-wicket haul in England’s initial three games.
The latest rankings update also saw significant shifts among other top bowlers. Former world No.1 Sophie Ecclestone rose to fourth place, West Indies captain Hayley Matthews jumped to 11th, and Australia’s Kim Garth made a substantial leap of 25 places to enter the top 20.
