Pakistan’s Sadia Iqbal has made history by becoming the top-ranked T20I bowler in the world, a position she claimed for a few days during the ongoing Women’s T20 World Cup. Iqbal’s brief reign atop the ICC Women’s T20I Player Rankings was marked by a strong performance in the tournament, overtaking England’s Sophie Ecclestone, who had held the top spot since February 2020.
Iqbal’s rise to the summit came after a stellar performance in Pakistan’s World Cup opener against Sri Lanka, where the left-arm spinner took 3 for 17. Ecclestone, in her first match of the World Cup, posted 0 for 21, allowing Iqbal to edge ahead in the rankings. However, the lead was short-lived, as Ecclestone bounced back with a Player-of-the-Match performance in England’s next game, returning 2 for 15 against South Africa, regaining the top spot. Despite this, the gap between the two bowlers remains narrow—just eight ranking points separate them (762 for Ecclestone, 754 for Iqbal), leaving the door open for further changes as the tournament progresses.
Iqbal’s rise to the top of the rankings was a significant milestone, making her the first Pakistani player to achieve this feat in Women’s T20I cricket. The 2024 has thus far been a standout year for the 25-year-old, who is leading the wicket-taking charts in Women’s T20Is with 28 wickets from 17 games.
While Iqbal’s success is a highlight, the Women’s T20I rankings have seen several notable movements during the World Cup. Among batters, New Zealand’s Suzie Bates has climbed two spots to seventh after scoring 27 against India, while India’s Harmanpreet Kaur has jumped four places to 12th following her contributions against New Zealand and Pakistan. England’s Danni Wyatt-Hodge has been one of the standout performers, helping England to victories over Bangladesh and South Africa with scores of 41 and 43, respectively. Wyatt-Hodge’s strong performances have lifted her from 20th to joint 18th in the batting rankings, alongside team-mate Nat Sciver-Brunt, who also rose to 18th after scoring an unbeaten 48 against South Africa.
In the bowlers’ rankings, Australia’s Megan Schutt has surged nine places to enter the top ten, now ranked 10th, following her impressive 3 for 12 against Sri Lanka. England’s Sarah Glenn has moved up one spot to third place, closing in on Ecclestone and Iqbal, after picking up a wicket in each of England’s two games so far. Australian all-rounder Ash Gardner has also seen an upward trajectory, rising three places to sixth, while Pakistan’s Rabeya Khan is now ranked ninth after a steady performance.
South Africa’s Nonkululeko Mlaba has been one of the biggest risers in rankings, jumping nine places to 13th after a sensational 4 for 29 against the West Indies and 1 for 22 against England.
As the Women’s T20 World Cup continues, the competition for the top rankings remains intense, and further shifts in the ICC rankings are likely. With Iqbal and Ecclestone leading the charge among bowlers, all eyes will be on the remainder of the tournament to see if Pakistan’s star can reclaim the top spot or if Ecclestone will extend her reign as the world’s leading T20I bowler.
Also read: Sciver-Brunt Stars as England Chase Down South Africa’s Total to Win by 7 Wickets
