Star Indian opener Smriti Mandhana has reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the ICC ODI rankings for women's batters following her impressive half-century against Australia. The rankings, released on Tuesday, reflect her fine innings of 58 off 63 balls in the opening match of the three-match series in Mullanpur. Despite India's loss, Mandhana's performance was enough to earn her seven rating points, pushing her four points clear of England's Nat Sciver-Brunt.
This marks the fourth time Mandhana has held the premier position in the ODI batting charts, having first reached the top spot in 2019 and twice previously in 2025. With the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup set to begin on September 30, her return to form and the No. 1 ranking provides a significant confidence boost for the Indian team. Mandhana now has 735 rating points to Sciver-Brunt's 731.
The rankings also saw several other Indian batters make gains. Pratika Rawal, who scored a well-made 64, jumped four spots to 42nd, while Harleen Deol's half-century of 54 lifted her five rungs to 43rd. Richa Ghosh also improved three places to 36th after her knock of 25. These gains highlight the collective strength of the Indian batting lineup ahead of the World Cup.
The Australian team's dominant eight-wicket victory also resulted in significant gains for their players. Left-handed stalwart Beth Mooney rose three spots to fifth place overall after her unbeaten 77. Annabel Sutherland and Phoebe Litchfield, who both scored half-centuries, now share the joint 25th position. In the bowling rankings, Australian pacer Kim Garth and spinner Alana King both achieved career-best rankings of fourth and fifth, respectively.
For India's bowlers, spinner Sneh Rana moved up five places to 16th after taking a wicket in the first ODI. England's Sophie Ecclestone maintains her position as the No. 1 ranked bowler, while India's Deepti Sharma remains in the top 10 at No. 7. The Australian all-rounder Ash Gardner also holds the No. 1 ranking, with her teammates Annabel Sutherland and Ellyse Perry also making gains.