Smriti Mandhana’s record-breaking 62-ball 112 at Southampton has lifted her to No.3 in the ICC women’s T20I batting rankings, edging past Australia’s Tahlia McGrath and closing to within three rating points of West Indies captain Hayley Matthews. Beth Mooney still leads the table on 794 points, while Mandhana now owns a career-best 771.
Reflecting on her first T20I hundred – scored in her 149th appearance – Mandhana smiled: “The girls were really hard on me about the century,” giving an insight into the gentle dressing-room pressure that finally produced the landmark innings.
England seamer Lauren Bell was the other big mover after the series opener. Figures of 3 for 27 pushed her to fourth on the bowling chart, just behind Annabel Sutherland and Deepti Sharma. Pakistan left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal remains top with 746 points, but only 19 points separate the next three bowlers, so another decisive spell from Bell on Tuesday could shake up the order again.
Back at the top of India’s batting card, Shafali Verma’s brisk 20 from 22 balls in her first T20I since October 2024 was enough to nudge her up one place to No.13, although the right-hander looked understandably rusty. Harleen Deol, absent from the format since mid-2023, re-entered the rankings in joint-86th after her lively 43 off 23 deliveries.
The congestion is equally tight among the leading bowlers. Deepti (735 points), Bell (727) and Sophie Ecclestone (725) all have a realistic shot at overtaking Iqbal during the remainder of the three-match series, underlining how rapidly the table can shift with one standout performance.
India and England meet again on Tuesday, when Mandhana could move into second place – and possibly even threaten Mooney – if she strings together another sizeable score. For Bell, another incisive burst would keep the pressure firmly on the bowlers above her, adding an extra subplot to what is already a finely balanced contest.
