Mithali Raj Number 1 in ODI Batters Rankings; Jhulan Goswami rises to 4th spot on bowlers' charts
Indian women's ODI team captain Mithali Raj is now the undisputed number one batter in the ICC Rankings. South Africa's Lizelle Lee jointly held the top spot with Raj until last week. However, Lee has now dropped to number two after the ODI series against the West Indies women's team.
Both Lee and Mithali Raj previously had 762 rating points to their name in the ICC Women's ODI Rankings for Batters. But Lizelle moved down after having lost a solitary rating point.
Notably, Lizelle was the top run-scorer in the ODI series against West Indies Women. She played four games in the five-match series, scoring 248 runs at an average of 124.
Meanwhile, New Zealand's Amy Satterthwaite has entered the top 5 after scoring 79 runs in the Bristol ODI against England Women. England's Heather Knight has jumped five spots, thanks to her match-winning 89 off 107 against New Zealand Women. Smriti Mandhana and Ellyse Perry have improved their positions as well.
Mithali Raj and Smriti Mandhana are not the only Indians to improve their position in ICC Women's ODI Rankings
While Mithali Raj is now the world number ODI batswoman again, her compatriot Deepti Sharma has risen to the fourth position in the ICC Women's ODI Rankings for All-rounders. Sharma has overtaken West Indies' Stafanie Taylor in the rankings.
Veteran Indian pacer Jhulan Goswami has also climbed to the fourth spot, albeit in the ICC Women's ODI Rankings for Bowlers. Jhulan (694 rating points) is six points ahead of South Africa's Shabnim Ismail (688 rating points).
Mithali Raj and Co. are currently playing an ODI series against Australia Women. Unfortunately, the Mithali Raj-led outfit lost by nine wickets in the series opener earlier today.