After losing drastically in the Finals of T20 World Cup, teenage Indian batting sensation on Monday has lost the top spot in ICC Women’s International rankings and slipped to 3rd position after managing only two runs in the Final of ICC Women’s T20 World Cup against Australia on Sunday in Melbourne Cricket Ground. The 16th-year-old Shafali had grabbed the top spot at the end of the league stage of just concluded Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia which the hosts won for an unprecedented fifth time. Australia opener Beth Mooney, who hit 78 not out in the final on Sunday, jumped two spots to number one with 762 points to her kitty.
Mooney scored 259 runs at an average of 64 in six innings, the highest aggregate by anyone at a single edition of the competition and was awarded as the Player of the Tournament. She has topped the rankings for the first time in her career.
Indian players Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues have grabbed a spot in the top 10 rankings list whereas New Zealand’s Suzie Bates 750 points, helped her to sustain the second position in the list. India’s vice-captain Mandhana, who had an amnesic tournament, moved down a spot to be ranked seventh and Rodrigues remained static on ninth.
Mooney’s opening partner Alyssa Healy has risen two slots to the fifth position after a blistering 39-ball 75 in the final against India while South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt has advanced 13 slots to reach a career-best 31st place after a valiant 27-ball 41 in their semifinal against Australia.
Whereas in the rankings list there is something good for India’s player Deepti Sharma advanced 10 slots to reach 43rd position among batters and is among the top five all-rounders for the first time.
Deepti, Radha Yadav, and Poonam Yadav occupied the sixth, seventh and eighth spots respectively in the bowlers ranking led by England’s Sophie Ecclestone. Australia’s Megan Schutt and South African Shabnim Ismail occupy the second and third places respectively among bowlers.
While Australia left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen reached a career-best 728 points and fifth place, her best position since a career-best fourth ranking in November 2017. Her team-mates Sophie Molineux and Delissa Kimmince have advanced 10 places each to reach joint-16th and 31st places respectively.
Though the final of the ICC T20 World Cup has dropped Shafali’s ranking from 1st slot to 3rd slot, her flawless performance throughout the tournament has helped her to occupy a permanent No.1 slot in the hearts of crores of Indians!
