India’s record-extending 4th ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup title in Dubai has triggered a seismic shift in the latest ICC Women’s T20I Rankings, headlined by N Sree Charani becoming the first Indian bowler to breach the 800-point barrier and closing in on the highest bowling rating ever recorded.
With a four-wicket haul in the 72-run final win over Sri Lanka on 13 September 2026, Charani finished the tournament with 12 wickets, leaping to 802 points, just four shy of Megan Schutt’s all-time peak of 806, and joining an elite trio alongside Schutt and Sophie Ecclestone as the only women to touch 800.
Zimbabwe are hosting South Africa, led by skipper Laura Wolvaardt, for a 5-match T20I series from 11th September to 19th September 2026.
India’s Bowling Dominance Redefines the Top
Charani’s rise is matched by teammate Deepti Sharma, who climbed four places to second in the T20I bowling rankings after claiming 14 wickets in the Asia Cup, including a tight 3/19 in the final. This one-two punch gives India an unprecedented stranglehold at the summit of the bowling charts, with two homegrown stars now occupying the top two spots. Further down, Prema Rawat’s 50-place jump to 96th (358 points) and Nandani Sharma’s 10-spot rise to 94th (368 points) underscore the depth of India’s bowling surge post-tournament.
Batting Gains Led by Shafali Verma
In the batting standings, Shafali Verma’s tournament-leading 236 runs at 47.20 propelled her one place to sixth globally, reinforcing her status as India’s most explosive T20I opener. Her all-round contributions also saw her climb five rungs to 15th in the all-rounder rankings. Beyond India, Australia’s Beth Mooney and Georgia Voll retain their top-two batting positions, while Bangladesh’s Nigar Sultana and Imesha Dulani each rose to joint-20th, and Sharmin Akhter Supta moved up three places to joint-40th. Pakistan captain Fatima Sana inched to 27th (566 points), Thailand’s Nannapat Koncharoenkai to joint-29th (535 points), and South Africa’s Anneke Bosch made a remarkable 323-place leap to 54th (436 points).
The all-rounder rankings saw South Africa’s Annerie Dercksen climb to 30th (126 points), while UAE’s Heena Hotchandani rose eight places to joint-60th (87 points), alongside Heather Siegers (Netherlands), Priyanaz Chatterji (Scotland), and Isabel Toua (Papua New Guinea). India’s Shree Charani entered the all-rounder list at joint-70th (80 points), level with Thailand’s Suleeporn Laomi, and South Africa’s Kayla Reyneke jumped 58 spots to 74th (77 points). Zimbabwe’s Beloved Biza and Ireland’s Cara Murray now share joint-89th (62).
In the bowling rankings, Bangladesh’s Marufa Akter, Rabeya Khan, Sultana Khatun, and Fahima Khatun all advanced by three, three, five, and six places respectively, to land at joint-15th, 18th, 32nd, and 49th. Sri Lanka’s Chamudi Praboda surged 23 places to joint-63rd (449), level with Australia’s Alana King, while Mithali Ayodhya moved up four to joint-67th (441), alongside Sophie Molineux. UAE’s Suraksha Kotte climbed seven to 88th (388), and Bangladesh’s Juairiya Ferdous rose five to 91st (330).
Shree Charani’s 802 points place her just behind Megan Schutt’s record 806, with Sophie Ecclestone (802) and Shabnim Ismail (781) rounding out the top five highest-ever T20I bowling ratings. Her achievement marks a watershed moment for Indian women’s cricket, transforming the team’s identity from batting-heavy to a balanced unit anchored by world-class spin and all-round depth.
With Harmanpreet Kaur’s side now holding both the Asia Cup trophy and the top two bowling spots globally, the stage is set for India to challenge Australia’s long-standing dominance in the ICC Women’s T20I rankings, and perhaps, in the near future, see Charani etch her name atop the all-time bowling list.
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