Sadia Iqbal has reclaimed the No.1 spot in the ICC Women’s T20I Bowling Rankings after delivering outstanding performances against South Africa. The left-arm spinner from Pakistan surged back to the top, surpassing Australia’s Annabel Sutherland and India’s Deepti Sharma in the latest rankings update. Iqbal’s impressive showing in Pakistan’s recent T20I series in South Africa, where she emerged as the joint leading wicket-taker, propelled her back to the summit.
In the series, Iqbal secured five wickets, with a notable performance of 3-18 in the crucial match in Benoni, playing a pivotal role in her ascent to the top position. This significant spell elevated her by two places in the rankings, reinstating her previous position held towards the end of 2024 and briefly last year. Despite Sutherland recently reclaiming the top spot, Iqbal’s consistent performances and match-winning contributions have now placed her back in the lead.
Pakistan received further positive news in the rankings update, with Captain Fatima Sana making remarkable progress across various categories following her exceptional performance in the series finale. The 22-year-old climbed 31 places to share the 28th spot in the T20I batting rankings and also advanced five positions to sixth among T20I all-rounders.
Fatima’s advancement was fueled by her Player of the Match display in the final game against South Africa, where she scored an unbeaten 47 from just 30 deliveries and also took two crucial wickets. Among her dismissals was South Africa’s skipper Laura Wolvaardt, who, despite this, rose one place to fourth in the T20I batting rankings.
Additionally, several Indian bowlers were recognized for their performances in the rain-affected opening match of the T20I series in Australia. Renuka Singh climbed six spots to fifth, Arundhati Reddy surged 19 positions to share the 16th spot, and Shree Charani moved up eight places to 39th, reflecting their impactful contributions with the ball.
