Wolvaardt Tops Rankings
Dubai
South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt has claimed the No. 1 position in the latest ICC Women’s ODI rankings, overtaking India’s Smriti Mandhana after a stunning display in the World Cup knockout stages. Wolvaardt’s back-to-back centuries in the semifinal and final powered her to 571 runs in the tournament — the highest ever in a single edition — earning her a career-best 814 rating points.
Mandhana, who held the top spot throughout the World Cup, slipped to second despite being named in the Team of the Tournament alongside Wolvaardt. India, under Harmanpreet Kaur, defeated South Africa by 52 runs in the final to lift their maiden Women’s World Cup trophy.
Jemimah Rodrigues was another major gainer, climbing nine places to break into the top 10 after her match-winning century against Australia in the semifinal at Navi Mumbai. Australia’s Phoebe Litchfield also surged 13 spots to a career-high 13th following her hundred in the same game.
Among all-rounders, India’s Deepti Sharma — the World Cup’s Player of the Tournament — rose to fourth, courtesy of her consistent contributions with both bat and ball, including seven wickets and crucial runs in the knockout matches.
In the bowling charts, South Africa’s Marizanne Kapp climbed to second after her devastating 5/20 spell against England in the semifinal, putting pressure on top-ranked Sophie Ecclestone. Australia’s Annabel Sutherland and Kim Garth also made minor gains to consolidate their places in the top 10.
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s performances in the latter stages of the World Cup helped her rise four spots to 14th in the batting rankings, capping a triumphant campaign for Indian women’s cricket.