Deepti Sharma Attains Career-Best 2nd Place In The ICC ODI Bowlers' Rankings

Her bowling displays in the first two ODIs against New Zealand have earned her a career-best rating of 687 points

Deepti Sharma of India bats during the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 match between India and Australia at Sharjah Cricket Stadium / Getty Images.

By Ian Omoro

Off-spinner Deepti Sharma of India has risen two spots to a career-high second place in the most recent ICC women's ODI rankings for bowlers on Tuesday, rewarding her for her outstanding recent play.

Deepti has been one of India's top players in the first two games of her team's ongoing white-ball series against New Zealand at home, following some excellent performances in the previous ICC Women's T20 World Cup in the UAE.

She continued her outstanding form into the last ODI of the series, returning 3 for 39 as India won 2-1; however, those wickets* occurred after the most recent ICC update. Deepti took three wickets in the first two games and has an economy rate of 3.42, which propelled her up the rankings. She is also ranked third in the T20I table, after Ecclestone and Sadia Iqbal.

From the India vs. New Zealand series, Lea Tahuhu has moved up three places to 12th, Amelia Kerr has risen one slot to 13th, and Sophie Devine has risen nine places to joint 30th among bowlers.

Kerr was ruled out for the rest of the series after suffering a quadricep tear in the first ODI, which India won, while Tahuhu and Devine were key players in New Zealand's victory in the second.

Devine (up three ranks to eighth) and Kerr (up one spot to 11th) also gain ground on the latest list of ODI batters, while compatriots Suzie Bates (up two spots to equal 15th) and Maddy Green (up seven places to 18th) make gains after some strong performances against India.

According to India's ODI batter rankings, right-hander Jemimah Rodrigues (up three spots to equal 30th) is the big winner, while Devine (up two spots to seventh) and Deepti (up one slot to third) also make some progress on the most recent list of ODI all-rounders.

Two Zimbabwean players are also feeling some relief following their recent series against the USA. Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano moved up 21 ranks to 28th on the batter rankings, and colleague Josephine Nkomo improved 13 slots to 32nd on the list of ODI bowlers.