The Indian test and ODI skipper Mithali Raj topped the ICC Women’s ODI Player Ranking list for the eighth time in her 22 year-long international career. This feat came after her stellar knock of 75* against England in the last ODI in Worchester.
Mithali Raj was the most consistent Indian batter in the ODI series, she has managed to score 50+ score in every ODI against England this season. She scored 72, 59, and 75 runs in the first, second, and third match respectively. Steered India towards victory in the last ODI and kept them from getting a clean sweep from the English team.
Breaking News:
MITHALI RAJ is the New Number. 1 player in the World as per ICC Rankings 🇮🇳🇮🇳 #ENGvIND #ENGWvINDW #MithaliRaj
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) July 6, 2021
Raj started the series at the eighth position but her series-topping aggregate of 206 runs made her the table topper. She topped the table after almost 16 years. The first time she was at the peak of the table was in April 2005 after scoring an unbeaten 91 against New Zealand at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in Potchefstroom. The difference of 16 years between her table-topping years is the largest for a women batter.
Mithali Raj’s match-winning half-century against the English women also brought her to go beyond former English captain Charlotte Edward’s record of most runs in international women’s cricket. Edwards has 10,273 runs in all the formats but Raj now has 10,337 runs across all the formats of international cricket.
Proud Moment for every 🇮🇳 Fan
38-year-old Mithali Raj and 17-year-old Shafali Verma are ruling women’s cricket like a boss. ❤️#ENGvIND #ENGWvINDW #MithaliRaj pic.twitter.com/4l1ZZdOqbp
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) July 6, 2021
Other Indian players have made some progress too, Shafali Verma, who debuted in this ODI series gained 49 places to reach 71st position while Jhulan Goswami is up to four places to 53rd. coming to the bowler’s ranking, Deepti Sharma gained one place to 12th after finishing with figures of 3/47 in the third ODI against England.
For the English team, debutant Sophia Dunkley gained 80 places to go to the 76th spot in the ranking after he scored a 73* and 28 against India. Sophie’s teammate opener Lauren Winfield-Hill has advanced 14 places to 41st position.
ICC ODI BATTING RANKINGS as on 6th July 2021.#ENGvIND #ENGWvINDW #MithaliRaj pic.twitter.com/oLkKN67wdg
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) July 6, 2021
Talking about the English bowlers, spinner Sophie Ecclestone gained 4 places to reach a career-best sixth position after her marvelous performance in the ODI series. Kate Cross, who took a five-wicket haul in the second match and was the player of the match climbed 8 places to 18th spot.
Source: ICC