ICC Women's T20I Rankings: Pakistan's Sadia Iqbal becomes No.1 briefly; Sophie Ecclestone returns on top; Harmanpreet Kaur jumps four spots

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Pakistan's left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal made history this week by briefly becoming the first player from her country to top the ICC Women's T20I Player Rankings.

In a remarkable achievement, the 29-year-old reached the number one spot, surpassing England's Sophie Ecclestone, who had held the position since February 2020. Although Sadia's reign was short-lived, finishing second in the rankings, her accomplishment marks a significant moment for Pakistan's women's cricket.

Sadia drew level with Ecclestone on 757 points following her stellar performance in a Group A match of the ongoing ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 against Sri Lanka, where she took 3 for 17.

Ecclestone, meanwhile, had a rare off day, going wicketless in England's Group B match against Bangladesh, which saw her rating drop to 750 points, momentarily handing the top spot to Sadia.

However, Sadia's brief stay at the top ended just two days later when Ecclestone reclaimed her position with a 2 for 15 performance against South Africa, earning her the Player of the Match award.

Despite the quick shift in rankings, Sadia's achievement highlights her growing prominence on the world stage, especially as she became only the second Pakistani woman after former captain Sana Mir to reach the summit of ICC rankings-Mir had topped the ODI bowling rankings between 2018 and 2019.

A Week of Notable Movements in the Rankings

The fiercely competitive ICC Women's T20I Rankings saw other significant shifts following the South Africa vs England match. South African captain Laura Wolvaardt and opener Tazmin Brits both achieved career-best-equalling rankings after impressive performances. Wolvaardt, with scores of 52 not out against the West Indies and 42 against England, rose two places to third, while Brits climbed to sixth after her match-winning knock of 57 not out against the West Indies.

Here's a look at other key movements in the rankings:

ICC Women's T20I Batting Rankings:

• Suzie Bates (New Zealand) moved up two places to seventh.
• Harmanpreet Kaur(India) gained four spots to joint-12th.
• Dannie Wyatt(England) and Natalie Sciver-Brunt(England) both rose to joint-18th.
• Amy Jones(England) climbed to 27th.
• Muneeba Ali(Pakistan) moved to 35th, with Nida Dar(Pakistan) rising to 37th.
• Marizanne Kapp(South Africa) made a significant jump to 44th.
• Fatima Sana(Pakistan) surged 12 places to 63rd.

ICC Women's T20I Bowling Rankings:

• Sarah Glenn(England) is now third, trailing only Ecclestone and Sadia.
• Ashleigh Gardner(Australia) climbed to sixth, while Rabeya Khan(Bangladesh) is up to ninth.
• Megan Schutt(Australia) made a notable leap to 10th, followed by Charlie Dean(England) at 11th.
• Nonkululeko Mlaba(South Africa) rose to 13th, continuing her steady rise.
• Shreyanka Patil(India) and Sophie Molineux(Australia) made major gains, rising to 29th and 40th, respectively.

ICC Women's T20I All-Rounders' Rankings:

• Amelia Kerr(New Zealand) moved up to third.
• Marizanne Kapp(South Africa) continues her climb, reaching seventh.
• Fatima Sana(Pakistan) also rose six places to 12th.