South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt has climbed to a career-best No. 3 in the latest ICC Women’s T20I batting rankings after a sensational series against India, underlining her growing stature ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup in England and Wales.
Wolvaardt was the standout performer in South Africa’s 4–1 series victory, piling up 330 runs and earning Player of the Series honours. Her campaign included a commanding century in the third T20I, alongside two more hundreds and a string of half-centuries that consistently put India on the back foot.
Her rich vein of form has propelled her two places up the rankings, placing her just behind top-ranked Georgia Voll. The latest update also brings Wolvaardt a career-high rating, arriving at a timely moment on the eve of a major global tournament.
Interestingly, the South African skipper had only recently spoken about a dip in form following a challenging tour of New Zealand. However, she now finds herself in red-hot touch with the bat.
“I am very happy with my form at the moment,” Wolvaardt said after the final match of the India series. “After a tough tour to New Zealand, it has been really nice to turn it around. I cannot really tell you what has changed that much. That is the funny thing about cricket.”
India wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh also made upward movement, climbing to 22nd, while South Africa’s Sune Luus rose six places to 29th after solid contributions during the series.
Among bowlers, Pakistan’s Sadia Iqbal continues to lead the T20I rankings, with India’s Deepti Sharma moving up to fourth alongside South Africa’s Nonkululeko Mlaba, both benefiting from strong performances ahead of the T20 World Cup.
India’s young left-arm spinner Shree Charani was another notable mover, jumping 12 places to 11th after a two-wicket spell in the final match of the series.
In the ODI rankings, updates following Bangladesh’s home series against Sri Lanka saw several players from the hosts make gains. Nigar Sultana moved up to 35th among batters, while Sobhana Mostary climbed to 45th.
Bangladesh’s Nahida Akter rose to 11th among ODI bowlers, with Marufa Akter also improving, moving up to 37th. Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu advanced in multiple categories, moving to ninth among all-rounders and making gains in the bowling rankings, while Harshitha Samarawickrama climbed to 20th among ODI batters after a steady series.
(With inputs from ANI)
