Laura Wolvaardt has reclaimed the No. 1 position in the ICC Women's ODI batting rankings after Smriti Mandhana recorded scores of 32 and 0 in the Zimbabwe series. India won both completed matches, and centuries from Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma drove several ranking gains.
Why Did Mandhana Lose the No. 1 ODI Ranking?
Mandhana made 32 in the opening ODI in Vadodara and was dismissed for a duck in the second match. Those two innings cost her enough rating points to fall behind South Africa captain Wolvaardt.
India had already secured the three-match series by winning both completed games. Mandhana's lean run therefore had no bearing on the result, but it was enough to change the top of the ODI batting table.
Mandhana's scores in the Zimbabwe ODI series| Match | Score | Dismissal type |
|---|
| 1st ODI | 32 | Dismissed |
| 2nd ODI | 0 | Duck |
| Total | 32 runs in 2 innings | Average 16.00 |
An average of 16.00 across two innings is well below the output expected of a top-ranked batter. Rankings of this kind are sensitive to recent form, so short runs of low scores can shift positions quickly.
What the Change at the Top Shows
The swap shows how narrow the gap between the leading ODI batters can be. A single series was enough for Wolvaardt to move back to No. 1.
How Did Harmanpreet and Deepti Gain?
Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma each scored a century in the second ODI. India won that match by 121 runs, and the ranking updates reflect the scale of those contributions.
Harmanpreet moved up two places to eighth among ODI batters. Deepti rose four places to 23rd in batting and also improved in two other lists.
Deepti Sharma's ODI ranking movement| Category | Movement | New rank |
|---|
| Batters | Up 4 | 23rd |
| All-rounders | Up 2 | 4th |
| Bowlers | Up 1 | 8th |
Deepti's movement in all three lists highlights her value as a multi-skilled player. Few players in the women's game are ranked inside the top 25 for batting and the top 10 for bowling at the same time.
Bowling Contributions
Kranti Gaud moved up two places to 25th in the ODI bowling rankings. ESPNcricinfo also reported that Vaishnavi Sharma, playing her second ODI, took four wickets as Zimbabwe lost by 121 runs.
Which Young Batters Made the Biggest Jumps?
Pratika Rawal made the largest leap among the Indian players, rising seven places to a career-best 21st in the ODI batting rankings. Zimbabwe's batters also moved up, led by Beloved Biza.
Notable ODI batting ranking jumps| Player | Team | Places gained | New rank |
|---|
| Beloved Biza | Zimbabwe | 16 | 56th |
| Pratika Rawal | India | 7 | 21st (career best) |
| Modester Mupachikwa | Zimbabwe | 5 | 39th |
| Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano | Zimbabwe | 4 | 47th |
| Deepti Sharma | India | 4 | 23rd |
| Harmanpreet Kaur | India | 2 | 8th |
Biza's 16-place gain is the largest in this group. Movements of that size are common lower down the list, where rating points are closer together.
Rawal's Career-Best Position
Rawal's move to 21st is a personal high and puts her inside the top 25 of the ODI batting list. It also gives India more depth in the top order alongside Harmanpreet and Mandhana.
What Changed in the T20I Rankings?
India's batters also gained in the T20I rankings after the Zimbabwe series. Shafali Verma rose one place to third, and Mandhana moved up one place to fourth despite her ODI drop.
Australia and New Zealand players moved after the Trans-Tasman series. Ash Gardner jumped nine places to 19th among T20I batters.
T20I ranking movements after the latest updates| Player | Team | Category | Movement | New rank |
|---|
| Shafali Verma | India | Batters | Up 1 | 3rd |
| Smriti Mandhana | India | Batters | Up 1 | 4th |
| Ash Gardner | Australia | Batters | Up 9 | 19th |
| Georgia Wareham | Australia | Bowlers | Gained places | Joint 7th |
| Kim Garth | Australia | Bowlers | Gained places | Joint 10th |
| Bree Illing | New Zealand | Bowlers | Up 6 | 17th |
| Nensi Patel | New Zealand | Bowlers | Gained places | 29th |
Format Contrast for Mandhana
Mandhana lost the ODI No. 1 spot but moved up to fourth in T20Is within the same ranking update. This shows how form in one format can diverge sharply from form in another.
What Do the Rankings Indicate?
India's gains in both formats point to depth in the squad, with several players moving up at the same time. Mandhana's ODI drop shows how quickly positions at the top can change.
Wolvaardt's return to No. 1 keeps the ODI batting race open. A strong run from Mandhana in upcoming series could reverse the order again.