Harmanpreet Kaur, India’s women’s cricket captain, has climbed four spots to joint 12th in the latest ICC Women’s T20 batting rankings, now tied with Sri Lanka’s Harshitha Samarawickrama, both sitting at 610 rating points. Off-spinner Shreyanka Patil also saw a significant rise, moving up nine places to 29th in the bowlers’ rankings.
Despite this ranking boost, Harmanpreet’s recent performances have been underwhelming. Over the last few months, she has struggled with consistency, except for a gritty 29* against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup and a 66 against the UAE in the Women’s Asia Cup. Her performance in India’s T20 World Cup opener against New Zealand was disappointing, as she was dismissed for just 15. While she redeemed herself with a key role in India’s win over Pakistan, her leadership faced challenges, especially after India lost to Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final.
In contrast, Smriti Mandhana dropped one place to fifth in the rankings, while Jemimah Rodrigues slipped two spots to 20th. Deepti Sharma fell to fourth in the bowlers’ list, and Renuka Singh Thakur held her fifth position. These rankings come amid the ongoing T20 World Cup in the UAE, where India faces a tough challenge.
After a heavy 58-run defeat to New Zealand, India’s path to the semi-finals looks difficult. They must win their remaining matches against Sri Lanka and Australia to keep their hopes alive. However, even if they secure those victories, their qualification still depends on other results due to their poor net run rate.
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