Mooney regains top spot in batter rankings after Women's T20 WC heroics
Dubai, July 7
Australia's Beth Mooney has returned to the top of the ICC Women's T20I batter rankings after a superb Women's T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, where she played a key role in her side's record-extending seventh title triumph.
Mooney, who was named both the Player of the Match in the final and the Player of the Tournament, reclaimed the No. 1 ranking with 785 rating points after finishing the tournament with 238 runs at an average of 47.60 and a strike rate of 142.51.
The experienced left-hander delivered in the biggest matches, scoring an unbeaten 61 off 36 balls in Australia's semifinal victory over the West Indies before making a match-winning 64 off 49 deliveries in the final against England at Lord's.
She has overtaken her opening partner Georgia Voll, who slips to second with 779 rating points. It marks the fifth time Mooney has occupied the top spot in the T20I batter rankings, with only Karen Rolton having spent longer as the world's No. 1 batter.
South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt remains third with 771 rating points, followed by Hayley Matthews (754) in fourth and India's Smriti Mandhana (746) in fifth.
Among the biggest movers in the latest rankings are South Africa's Tazmin Brits, who climbed three places to 11th, and England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, who jumped five spots to 16th following her impressive World Cup campaign. Sciver-Brunt's unbeaten 58 in the final against Australia and 75 in the semifinal against South Africa played a major role in her rise.
India spinner Sree Charani continues to lead the ICC Women's T20I bowling rankings after an outstanding World Cup in which she claimed 14 wickets in five matches. Charani was also named in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Team of the Tournament.
England continue to dominate the bowling rankings despite finishing runners-up. Sophie Ecclestone moved up one place to second with 723 rating points, swapping positions with Charlie Dean, who slipped to third on 722. Lauren Bell dropped one place to fifth, while Linsey Smith remained inside the top seven in seventh position.
South Africa all-rounder Marizanne Kapp broke into the top 10, climbing four places to 10th after another consistent tournament with the ball.
Australia pacer Kim Garth also made significant progress, moving up to 15th after playing a key role in Australia's successful title run, while England's Freya Kemp surged 31 places to No. 27 in the ICC Women's T20I all-rounder rankings following her impressive performances with both bat and ball.
In the all-rounders' rankings, Australia's Ash Gardner climbed to sixth after swapping places with Pakistan captain Fatima Sana.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Happy for Mooney, she was brilliant throughout. But why is there no mention of India's batters in the top movers? Shafali Verma had a quiet tournament and Jemimah Rodrigues was inconsistent. We need more domestic T20 exposure for our girls to compete with Australia's depth. 😔
Incredible consistency from Mooney! Fifth time as No.1 - that's proper dominance. Sree Charani leading the bowling rankings is a proud moment for India 🇮🇳. She bowled brilliantly in the powerplay. The system is producing world-class spinners but we need to work on batting depth. Well done to all players!
Mooney is just phenomenal under pressure - 61 off 36 in the semis and 64 in the final? That's champion stuff. Australia's system is so strong. Gotta appreciate how teams like India and South Africa are closing the gap though. Women's cricket is getting so competitive globally!
Smriti Mandhana at 5th is fair but she should be higher based on talent alone. Her consistency in T20Is is worrying though - too many starts without converting. Also, nice to see Kim Garth moving up to 15th. Australia's bowling attack is so well-rounded. India's fielding needs to improve drastically! 😤
Full credit to Mooney, she's been world class for years. But is anyone else surprised that Nat Sciver-Brunt jumped five spots to 16th? She played brilliantly in the knockout stages. The rankings feel a bit slow to reflect tournament performances. Still, good to see women
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