Harmanpreet Kaur returns to the top 10 of the latest ICC rankings ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup

Harmanpreet Kaur (Getty Images) NEW DELHI: Ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup in England and Wales, Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur has received a timely boost to return to the top ten of the ICC Women’s T20I batting rankings after her match-winning performance against England.The International Cricket Council (ICC) released the latest women’s rankings on Tuesday, with Harmanpreet moving up one place to break back into the elite list of top 10 batsmen. The Indian skipper’s rise comes on the back of her unbeaten half-century in the series decider against England in Taunton, an innings that underlined her value as India’s most experienced batsman heading into global action. The ranking update comes at a crucial time for India, with Harmanpreet expected to play a key role in their World Cup campaign. Her return to the top 10 is a reward for her recent consistency and gives India more confidence ahead of the marquee tournament.At the top of the batting charts, Australia’s duo of Georgia Voll and Beth Mooney continue to hold the number one and two positions and will enter the T20 World Cup as the highest-ranked batsmen in the format.Meanwhile, New Zealand star Melie Kerr has reclaimed the No.1 position in the ICC T20I women’s all-rounder rankings, dethroning West Indies captain Hayley Matthews.Kerr returned to the top after Matthews missed West Indies’ final match in the recent tri-series in Ireland. The battle for top spot remains intense, however, with Kerr holding a slender lead of just five rating points over Matthews ahead of the World Cup, which starts on June 12.There have been significant gains elsewhere in the batting rankings. England’s Alice Capsey jumped 13 places to 30th after her best performance in the deciding series, hitting a brilliant 82. Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana climbed two places to 18th, while England veteran Heather Knight moved up four places to 21st.In the bowling rankings, English spinner Linsey Smith retained the number 1 position, just ahead of Pakistan’s Sadia Iqbal. England’s Lauren Bell moved up to second, while team-mate Charlie Dean climbed to fourth. South African spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba also recorded gains, moving to fifth position.Among the all-rounders, Kerr and Matthews continue to lead the way, while Scotland captain Kathryn Bryce has moved up nine places to 17th after impressive performances during the recent tri-series involving Bangladesh and the Netherlands.