Indian allrounder reaches career milestone after defeating Sri Lanka recently.
Indian cricket fans have a new reason to celebrate as star allrounder Deepti Sharma has officially ascended to the summit of the world cricket stage. In the latest update of the ICC Women's Player Rankings, Deepti has secured the number one position among T20I bowlers for the first time in her illustrious career. This achievement marks a significant milestone for the 28-year-old, who has been a pillar of consistency for the Indian women's cricket team.
The leap to the top spot came following her disciplined performance in the opening match of the ongoing India vs Sri Lanka T20 series in Visakhapatnam. Deepti’s figures of 1 wicket for 20 runs were sufficient to earn her five crucial rating points. With a total of 737 points, she narrowly edged past Australia's Annabel Sutherland by a single point to claim the crown.
This ranking boost is part of a dream run for the Agra-born cricketer. Just six weeks ago, she was a vital component of India’s ODI World Cup-winning squad, where she finished as the tournament's leading wicket-taker with 22 dismissals. Her market value has also skyrocketed, as evidenced by the UP Warriorz WPL 2026 auction last month. The franchise used their Right-to-Match (RTM) card to retain her for a staggering Rs 3.2 crore, highlighting her status as one of the most sought-after players in the world.
Other Indian players also made significant strides in the latest rankings. Jemimah Rodrigues, following her match-winning unbeaten 69 in Vizag, climbed five places to reach ninth in the T20I batting list. Meanwhile, Smriti Mandhana remains the highest-ranked Indian batter at third, though she recently lost her top spot in the ODI rankings to South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt. In the bowling department, Arundhati Reddy moved up to 36th place, while spinner Shree Charani made a massive 19-place jump to 69th.
As Deepti continues to dominate both with the ball and the bat, her rise to the top of the women's T20I bowling rankings serves as a testament to her hard work and the growing strength of Indian women's cricket on the global stage.
