Smriti Mandhana’s First T20I Century Brings Her Closer to World No.1 Spot

India’s Smriti Mandhana has taken a big step forward in her T20 international career. In the opening match against England, she scored her first century in this format, reaching 112 runs. This not only helped India secure a strong win, but also pushed Mandhana closer to becoming the world’s top-ranked T20I batter. 

Mandhana now has 771 rating points, her highest ever in T20 internationals. She is just 23 points behind Australia’s Beth Mooney, who is in first place, and only 3 points behind Hayley Matthews from the West Indies, who is in second. Her latest performance has moved her to third place in the rankings.

This recent century came during India’s 97 run win over England in Nottingham, where Mandhana dominated the match from the start. After the match, Mandhana shared her thoughts, saying, “I’ve been working hard to convert starts into big scores, and I’m happy I could do that today.” 

Her innings has not only boosted her ranking but also made her a strong contender to become the world’s number one batter in T20 internationals, in addition to already being the top player in One Day Internationals.

How the Ranking System Works

Player rankings are calculated by the International Cricket Council. They are based on how well a player performs in recent matches, the strength of the teams involved, and the importance of the match. A good performance in a high level match can result in a big jump in points. A score like Mandhana’s, especially against a strong team like England, plays a big role in improving rankings.

Other Indian Players on the Rise

Mandhana was not the only Indian player to make progress in the rankings. Shafali Verma, returning to the T20 team after a long break, scored 20 runs and moved up to 13th place. Though her score was not very high, her return is being seen as a positive sign for India’s batting line-up.

Harleen Deol also returned to the T20 team after over a year. She scored 43 runs off just 23 balls, a quick and impactful innings. Her strong performance has put her back on the ranking list at 86th place. If she continues this form, she could climb even higher in the next updates.

England’s Lauren Bell Makes a Mark with the Ball

While India dominated with the bat, England’s Lauren Bell stood out with her bowling. She took three wickets in the match and moved up to fourth place in the ICC T20I bowling rankings. This is her career-best position so far.

Bell is now close behind India’s Deepti Sharma and Australia’s Annabel Sutherland. Only a few points separate the top bowlers in the world, so even small performances in the next few matches could lead to big changes in ranking. Her teammate Sophie Ecclestone, who was earlier in fourth place, has now dropped to fifth.

Performances from South Africa and West Indies Also Shift Rankings

Apart from the India and England series, recent matches between South Africa and the West Indies have also affected the rankings. South African batter Miane Smit scored her first half-century and moved from outside the top 100 to the 76th position. This is a major achievement for a young player.

Sune Luus, a former captain of South Africa, also had a good series. She moved up nine spots to become the 31st ranked all-rounder after contributing both with bat and ball.

The West Indies won the series 2–1. It was their first T20I series win over South Africa in 12 years. Their captain, Hayley Matthews, played a major role in the win and remains second in the T20I batting rankings, just ahead of Mandhana for now.

These recent changes show how fast women’s cricket is growing and becoming more competitive. New talent is getting recognized, and experienced players are showing why they deserve to stay at the top.