West Indies star Stafanie Taylor dominates the latest ICC Women's ODI rankings
Stafanie Taylor, the West Indies captain, has reclaimed top spot in the list of batters and all-rounders in the updated ICC Women's ODI Rankings.
Taylor rode on to her brilliant knock in the first ODI against Pakistan to grab the numero uno spot. The ICC updated its rankings on July 13 (Tuesday), releasing the same on its official website.
Stafanie Taylor made a grand start to the five-match ODI series against Pakistan. Chasing a 206-run target set by the visitors, Taylor steered the run chase with an unbeaten century. Her knock came after she picked up three crucial wickets with the ball in the first innings as well.
The team from the Caribbean Islands were in a spot of bother after losing both their openers early but their skipper stepped up when the team needed her the most. Taylor paced her innings to perfection, scoring 105 runs off 116 deliveries, including 11 fours and two sixes, to take West Indies home.
As a result, she gained four spots to leapfrog legendary batter Mithali Raj and claim top spot in the batters’ list. This is the first time since March 2012 that Taylor has reached the summit of the batters' rankings.
She also moved up two spots to displace Australia's Ellyse Perry from the top of the all-rounder's list. The last time she was at the top was in July 2017. Stafanie Taylor is currently in 16th spot in the bowling charts, having jumped three places after her performance against Pakistan.
Stafanie Taylor's century vs Pakistan sees Mithali Raj slip down to second spot
On the back of a dream run in the three-match ODI series against England, Mithali Raj had jumped four spots to go top of the ODI rankings. The last time she previously occupied the top spot was in February 2018.
She scored 72 and 59 in the first two ODIs, and then guided India to a four-wicket victory in the 3rd ODI with an unbeaten 75-run knock. However, she has slipped down to second spot after Stafanie Taylor's performance against Pakistan saw the West Indies skipper leapfrog her Indian counterpart.