Wolvaardt overtakes Mandhana to become world no.1 in ODI rankings

South Africa women’s team skipper Laura Wolvaardt has pipped India’s batting star Smriti Mandhana to claim the No. 1 spot in the ICC Women’s ODI batting rankings, riding on her sensational centuries in the semi-final and final of the World Cup in India.

Wolvaardt’s 169 against England in the semifinal, followed by 101 in the final against India took her tournament tally to a record-breaking 571 runs, the highest in Women’s World Cup history. The Protea right-hander now sits at a career-best 814 rating points, three ahead of Mandhana’s 811.

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Mandhana, who held the No. 1 ranking throughout the World Cup, couldn’t produce her best in the knockouts, managing 24 in the semi-final and 45 in the final, though she still finished as the tournament’s second-highest run-scorer.

Australia’s Ellyse Perry broke into the top-10, moving to No. 7 after her 77 in the semi-final against India, sharing the spot with New Zealand’s Sophie Devine, who retired from ODIs after the tournament.

Jemimah Rodrigues’ match-winning unbeaten 127 in the semi-final against Australia pushed her up nine places to No. 10, while Australia’s Phoebe Litchfield climbed 13 spots to 13th following her 119 in the same game.

Among bowlers, South Africa’s pace spearhead Marizanne Kapp, who took 5 for 20 in the semi-final, jumped two places to No. 2, now sitting just behind England’s Sophie Ecclestone. Australia’s Annabel Sutherland and Kim Garth also climbed to sixth and seventh respectively, while their teammate Alana King slipped to No. 3 after Kapp’s rise.

India’s Deepti Sharma, crowned Player of the Tournament for her all-round impact, moved up to No. 4 in the allrounders’ rankings. Deepti, who claimed seven wickets and scored 82 runs in the knockouts, including a five-wicket haul in the final, leapfrogged Sutherland to secure the spot.