Rejuvenated Harmanpreet Kaur gains ICC rankings, skipper Smriti loses top spot

Harmanpreet Kaur’s return to form has been reflected in the latest ICC Women’s ODI Rankings, with the Indian batsman rising after a prolific run against Zimbabwe. Meanwhile, current captain Smriti Mandhana lost her top spot in the ODI batsmen’s rankings to South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt after a lean run in the ongoing series.

Harmanpreet has looked in impressive touch since stepping down as India’s captain after leading the team to a second gold medal at the Asian Games in Japan. She scored an unbeaten 91 in the T20I series in Zimbabwe before following it up with a century in the second ODI to help India take an unassailable lead in the three-match contest.

The 36-year-old recently opened up about the work she put in to rediscover her form, revealing that she spent a lot of time batting during her break at home.

“I practiced a lot at home. The more you bat, the more confident you become. I batted in the morning, afternoon and evening – three practice sessions,” Harmanpreet said while talking to teammate Deepti Sharma in a video recorded by the BCCI.

“I’m someone who requires a lot of training. Considering my age, I like to spend a lot of time on my fitness. More than that, I’ve been batting a lot because I felt my batting was a bit lacking. Time spent at home helps me,” she added.

MANDHANA SLIDES

While Harmanpreet has climbed the ODI rankings, Mandhana has slipped from the top spot after scores of 32 and zero in the last matches against Zimbabwe. India’s opener was bowled by Wolvaardt, who now leads the ODI batsmen charts.

Mandhana’s slump comes as Harmanpreet and Deepti Sharma brought up match-winning centuries in the second ODI. Their performances helped India clinch the series with a match to spare, underscoring the depth of the batting line-up even as the order shifted.

DEEPTI, PRATIKA ALSO GAIN

Deepti was among the biggest movers in the latest ranking update. The all-rounder climbed four places to 23rd in the ODI batsmen’s rankings and two places to fourth among all-rounders. She also gained a spot in the ODI bowlers’ rankings, moving up to eighth.

Young Indian batsman Pratika Rawal has made further progress, moving up seven places to a career-best 21st in the ODI batsmen’s rankings.

Zimbabwe players have also seen gains after their recent performances. Modester Mupachikwa moved up five places to 39th, Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano climbed four places to 47th, while Beloved Biza made the biggest jump of the trio, climbing 16 places to 56th.

In the updated T20I batsmen rankings, Indian openers Shafali Verma and Mandhana have moved up one place. Shafali made it to the third spot while Mandhana climbed to the fourth spot.

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