Tahlia McGrath overtakes Beth Mooney to become ICC’s No.1 T20I Batter

The latest ICC Women’s T20I Rankings have been released by the ICC and it brings great news for Australia’s star batter Tahlia McGrath. McGrath is now the No.1 ranked T20I batter in the world with 827 rating points, overtaking her teammate Beth Mooney who has been at the peak for more than four months.

Tahlia McGrath in action. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
Tahlia McGrath in action. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)

 

It is a massive recognition of McGrath’s consistent performances in recent times. McGrath has played 16 T20Is thus far in her short career, making 485 runs at an unbelievable average of 121.25, thanks to the 6 times that she has remained unbeaten. McGrath also has a wonderful strike rate of just a shade under 150 which further establishes her good run. She has made 4 half-centuries for Australia and also has three scores of forty or more. Even in the ongoing series against India, McGrath has put up two fine performances without giving her wicket away. In the first game, she made 40 in the second innings while she made 70 in the second game, constructing important partnerships with Mooney in both games.

This latest progression only adds to a glorious phase in her career in which she also recently led the Adelaide Strikers to the Women’s Big Bash League Title. McGrath is followed by Mooney and India’s Smriti Mandhana at No.2 and No.3 with Sophie Devine and Meg Lanning rounding up the top 5. Mandhana’s 79-run knock in the second T20I against the Aussies have taken her to 741 points, a career-best for her.

In the rankings for bowlers, Sophie Ecclestone continues to hold the top spot with Sarah Glenn now following her in the second position. India’s Deepti Sharma and Renuka Singh Thakur occupy the 3rd and 4th spots respectively and South Africa’s Shabnim Ismail completes the top 5.

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Performers in the England vs West Indies as well as in the Bangladesh vs New Zealand series have also been acknowledged in the latest ranking with Danni Wyatt, Amelia Kerr, and Sophia Dunkley also being rewarded.

Meanwhile, Australian star Ellyse Perry has regained the No.1 spot for all-rounders in ODI cricket, having previously scaled the peak back in February 2017. She ended up spending a substantial period of time at the top of the ranking on the previous occasion.

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