Mithali Raj tops ODI batting rankings after a stellar performance in England series

Indian skipper Mithali Raj is back to number one in the ICC ODI rankings thanks to her stellar performance in the three-match series against England. She replaced England opener Tammy Beaumont at the top position in latest update on Tuesday (June 6).



38-year-old Raj scored 206 runs at an average of 103.00 from the three games including a match-winning unbeaten 75 in Worcester in the final match of the series to jump four places to dethrone Beaumont at the helm. Raj has topped the rankings eight time in her career after reaching the number one position for the first time in April 2005, the last time she was at the top of the ODI ranking was in February 2018. The 16-year difference is the largest in women’s cricket with Janette Brittin and Debbie Hockley being the other two batters to have achieved the pole position in more than ten years apart. The series also saw Raj overtake Charlotte Edwards to become the highest run-getter in international cricket.



England left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone’s player of the series performance saw her jumping four places to her career-best sixth in the bowling ranking. Kate Cross, who took a five-wicket haul in the 2^nd ODI, has gained seven positions to reach number 18 in the ranking. Deepti Sharma has moved one place with her three-wicket haul in India’s win in the final ODI. Australia’s Jess Jonassen continues to be the number one ranked bowler in the format.



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Beaumont slipped to number four in the batting ranking after the rare failures in the last two ODIs. Fellow opener Lauren Winfield-Hill has moved to 41^st in the ranking while India opener Shafali Verma, who made her debut in the series, has made a move to 71^st position in the ranking. England’s debutante Sophie Dunkley is currently ranked 76^th after gaining 80 places from her last two knocks of 73* and 28.



In T20I rankings, Nida Dar jumped six spots to reach number 15 in the bowling ranking after the West Indies series that saw her become the first Pakistan bowler, male or female, to take 100 wickets in the format. West Indies skipper Stafanie Taylor’s hat-trick in the final match has taken her to 42^nd position in the ranking while pacer Shamilia Connell has positioned herself at 27. Verma and Ecclestone continue to remain at the top in batting and bowling rankings respectively.



In team rankings, Australia continue to stay ahead of England with a whopping 45 point in difference in ODIs and are ahead of their arch rivals by five points in the shortest format.