Deepti Sharma climbs to career-high second spot in Women's ODI bowlers rankings

Dubai, Oct 29 (IANS) India all-rounder Deepti Sharma has attained the career-best No. 2 spot in the Women's ODI bowlers rankings in the latest update released by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday.

Deepti’s three wickets in the first two matches against New Zealand have helped her gain two places to move to second on the latest rankings for ODI bowlers, with the India spinner obtaining a new career-high rating and closing in on England tweaker and No.1 ranked ODI bowler Sophie Ecclestone as a result.

New Zealand captain Sophie Devine has attained a career-high eighth position in the batting rankings after her knock of 79 in the second match.

Deepti, who helped win the first match with an all-round effort of 41 and one for 35, has also advanced one place to fourth position in the list of all-rounders. Devine is similarly up from ninth to seventh in the all-rounders’ rankings after grabbing three for 27 in the second match. Devine has also progressed nine places to 30th position in the bowling rankings.

New Zealand all-rounder Amelia Kerr, who was ruled out after the opening match of the series due to a left quadricep injury, has inched up to 11th and 13th positions in the batting and bowling rankings, respectively, after a fine all-round performance of 25 not out and four for 42 in the opener.

Others to move up the batting rankings for performances in the series include Suzie Bates (up two places to 15th), Maddy Green (up seven places to 18th) and Brooke Halliday (up three places to 36th) of New Zealand, while Jemimah Rodrigues (up three places to 30th) and Shafali Verma (up two places to 54th) have progressed from the home side. In the bowling rankings, Lea Tuhuhu is up three places to 12th.

The latest weekly rankings, which also include performances in the five-match series between Zimbabwe and the United States of America in Harare that the home side won 3-2, Zimbabwe batter Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano has attained a career-best 21st position after scores of 28, 33 and 60 in the last three matches of the series played over the past week.

Modester Mupachikwa (up nine places to 46th) and Ashley Ndiraya (up 28 places to 47th) are other Zimbabwe players to gain in the batting rankings while Josephine Nkomo (up 13 places to 32nd) has advanced in the bowling rankings.

For the USA, Disha Dhingra (up 22 places to 55th) and Sindhu Sriharsha (up 42 places to 57th) have moved up the batting rankings and Aditiba Chudasama (up 12 places to 58th) in the bowling rankings.

In the ICC Women’s Championship, India are on 23 points from 14 matches and New Zealand on 20 from 20 in the points table led by Australia (28 from 18) and England (28 from 21).