South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt has climbed to the No.1 spot in the ICC Women’s ODI Batting Rankings, overtaking India’s Smriti Mandhana after a phenomenal performance in the 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup.
Wolvaardt’s exceptional consistency, including centuries in both the semifinal and final, guided South Africa to their maiden World Cup final appearance. Her tally of 571 runs, the highest ever in a single edition of the tournament, earned her a career-best rating of 814 — the highest in her ODI career.
Mandhana Drops to Second, Still Shines as World Champion
Despite slipping to second place with a rating of 811, Smriti Mandhana had a dream tournament, leading India to their first-ever ICC Women’s ODI World Cup title. The stylish opener was named in the Team of the Tournament for her match-winning knocks throughout the event, including a vital 45 in the final against South Africa.
Jemimah Rodrigues Enters Top 10; Perry and Kapp Rise
India’s Jemimah Rodrigues made an impressive leap, breaking into the top 10 for the first time after her century against Australia in the semifinal. Australia’s Ellyse Perry moved up to No.7, sharing the spot with New Zealand’s Sophie Devine, who recently retired from ODIs.
Meanwhile, South Africa’s Marizanne Kapp climbed to second in the bowling rankings, just behind England’s Sophie Ecclestone, after her stunning 5/20 spell in the semifinal.
India’s Deepti Sharma, crowned Player of the Tournament, strengthened her place among the world’s best all-rounders, moving to fourth in the ICC all-rounder rankings after taking 22 wickets and scoring 215 runs in the tournament.
With Wolvaardt’s rise to the top and India’s dominant World Cup victory, the latest ICC rankings highlight the growing competitiveness in women’s cricket — setting the stage for even bigger rivalries in the 2026 season.
