Sree Charani has become the No.1 bowler in the ICC Women’s T20I rankings after taking 10 wickets in India’s first three matches at the Women’s T20 World Cup. The 21-year-old left-arm spinner moved above England’s Linsey Smith in the latest update, giving India a major individual marker before their next group-stage test.
Charani moves past Linsey Smith
The ICC said Charani’s rise was built on a blistering tournament start, including 4/19 against the Netherlands in Leeds and three more wickets against South Africa in Manchester. Those returns made her the leading wicket-taker at the competition so far and pushed her to the top of the women’s T20I bowling table for the first time.
Smith, who had held the premier position, dropped to third after a quieter opening to the tournament by her standards. England team-mate Charlie Dean climbed to second after taking five wickets in three matches, while Sophie Ecclestone rose four places to fourth.
For India, the timing matters. Charani made her international debut only a little over 12 months ago, but her control through the middle overs has quickly become central to Harmanpreet Kaur’s attack. With Bangladesh still to come for India on Thursday, the rankings jump underlines how quickly she has shifted from promising option to tournament driver. The full rankings movement was confirmed in the latest ICC Women’s T20I Bowler Rankings update.
