A file image of Deepti Sharma (Photo: @np_nationpress/X)
Dubai, Dec 30: India opener Shafali Verma's recent resurgence has been further fuelled by her impressive performance in the ongoing T20I series against Sri Lanka, helping her climb to the sixth spot in the latest Women's T20I Batter Rankings.
The young Indian star has gained four spots, bringing her closer to the top position she previously held in 2020, becoming only the second Indian player, after Mithali Raj, to achieve the number one ranking in T20I cricket.
Shafali has found her best form again, building on her brilliant performance in last month's ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Final. There, she notched up 87 runs and took two wickets, playing a pivotal role in securing India's first-ever 50-over World Cup title.
Her stellar form has carried over into the T20 format, where she has been in sensational touch against Sri Lanka, scoring three half-centuries and leading the run-scoring charts in the series.
Shafali now trailed top-ranked Australian batter Beth Mooney by just 60 rating points, showing her growing dominance in the T20I format.
Richa Ghosh, another Indian player, has also seen a significant rise in the T20I batter rankings. The 22-year-old moved up seven places to join the 20th position, following her match-winning 40 not out in the fourth game of the series against Sri Lanka.
India’s bowling ranks have also seen a surge, with Renuka Singh and Shree Charani making notable strides. Renuka, who took a brilliant four-wicket haul in the third match of the series, jumped eight spots to join the top six in the T20I bowler rankings.
Left-arm spinner Shree Charani has gained 17 places, now sitting at 52nd, while Vaishnavi Sharma has seen an extraordinary leap of 390 places to reach 124th in her debut international series.
Meanwhile, Deepti Sharma continues to hold the top spot among T20I bowlers, and Hayley Matthews from the West Indies maintains a strong lead among T20I all-rounders.
For Sri Lanka, left-handed opener Hasini Perera has moved up 114 places to 71st in the batter rankings after solid performances in the series, while Kavisha Dilhari has made a modest gain to reach 79th.
With India taking a commanding 4-0 lead in the five-match series and aiming for a whitewash on Tuesday, the rankings reflect their dominance, with both batters and bowlers on the rise.
--IANS