Dubai, September 8 (HS): Ireland wicketkeeper-batter Amy Hunter has climbed to a career-best 11th position in the ICC Women’s ODI batting rankings following an impressive series against England. Meanwhile, India opener Smriti Mandhana and all-rounder Deepti Sharma have also made significant gains in the latest T20I rankings after their strong performances in the Women’s Asia Cup.

The 20-year-old Hunter scored 62, 64 and 39 runs in the three-match ICC Women’s Championship series against England. Although England completed a 3-0 series sweep, Hunter’s performances earned her a career-best 644 rating points. She now has the second-highest rating total achieved by an Ireland women’s batter, behind only Miriam Grealey, who registered 654 points in August 2000.

Hunter scored 62 in the opening ODI against England and followed it with a top score of 64 in the second match. In the first game, England successfully chased down a target of 282 with 71 balls to spare, powered by Maia Bouchier’s 104, recording a new ODI record for their successful run chases.

In the ODI batting rankings, New Zealand’s Maddy Green and West Indies captain Hayley Matthews have each moved up one place to sixth and seventh, respectively. England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, who missed the series while recovering from a calf injury, has slipped two places.

England’s Maia Bouchier has surged 13 places to 42nd, while Sophia Dunkley has climbed 26 places to 43rd. Dunkley scored 119 in the third ODI to register her second ODI century. Freya Kemp has also made a major jump, rising 37 places to 76th.

In the bowling rankings, England’s stand-in captain Charlie Dean has moved up two places to joint 11th. Lauren Filer has climbed 14 places to 39th, while Ireland’s Cara Murray has risen 16 places to 50th.

T20I Rankings: Mandhana and Deepti Make Gains

The latest ICC Women’s T20I rankings also reflect strong performances in the Women’s Asia Cup. Although there has been no change in the top 15 among batters, India opener Smriti Mandhana has strengthened her position inside the top five.

Mandhana produced a spectacular 124 from 64 balls against Hong Kong, China. She is now just 12 rating points behind fourth-placed Hayley Matthews. Her innings helped India secure a 137-run victory and book their place in the semi-finals.

During the innings, Mandhana also became the highest run-scorer in women’s international cricket across all formats, surpassing former India captain Mithali Raj’s previous tally of 10,868 runs. The century was Mandhana’s 18th in international cricket, taking her to the top of the list for the most international centuries in women’s cricket.

India all-rounder Deepti Sharma has also made notable progress in the T20I bowling rankings, climbing two places to sixth. She remains fifth among the leading all-rounders.

Bangladesh’s Sobhana Mostary has moved up three places to 36th. She scored 40 against Indonesia before making 34 against Sri Lanka. However, Bangladesh lost the latter match by four wickets.

United Arab Emirates captain Esha Oza has climbed to 39th in the T20I batting rankings and remains close to the top 20 among all-rounders. She scored 30 off 29 balls and took two wickets against Indonesia, helping the UAE secure their first Women’s Asia Cup victory. She was named Player of the Match.

Bangladesh bowlers have also made significant gains. Marufa Akter has surged 19 places to 18th, while Sultana Khatun has climbed nine places to joint 37th. Marufa took three wickets for 21 runs against Sri Lanka.

Thailand’s Thipatcha Putthawong has moved up four places to 47th, while Suleeporn Laomi has jumped 10 places to 53rd. Laomi took three wickets against Pakistan, although Thailand lost the match by 35 runs.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar