Dubai, Feb 17 (IANS) Sadia Iqbal has reclaimed the No.1 position in the ICC Women’s T20I Bowling Rankings after a series of impressive performances against South Africa.

The Pakistan left-arm spinner surged back to the summit, overtaking Australia quick Annabel Sutherland and India’s experienced tweaker Deepti Sharma in the latest update to the ICC Women’s Player Rankings. Iqbal’s rise comes on the back of a strong showing in Pakistan’s recent three-match T20I series in South Africa, where she emerged as the joint leading wicket-taker.

Iqbal claimed five wickets across the series, with her standout performance a superb 3-18 in the deciding match in Benoni, playing a pivotal role in her return to the top of the standings. That decisive spell lifted her two places in the rankings, restoring her to a position she previously held toward the end of 2024 and again briefly last year. Sutherland had reclaimed the No.1 ranking only last month, but Iqbal’s consistency and match-winning impact have now seen her move back in front.

There was more good news for Pakistan in the latest rankings update. Captain Fatima Sana made significant strides in multiple categories following her all-around heroics in the series finale. The 22-year-old climbed 31 places to equal 28th in the T20I batting rankings and also advanced five spots to sixth among T20I all-rounders.

Fatima’s surge was fuelled by a Player of the Match display in the final game against the Proteas, where she struck an unbeaten 47 from just 30 deliveries and also collected two key wickets. Among her scalps was South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt, although the Protea batter still enjoyed a modest rise of her own, edging up one place to fourth in the T20I batting rankings.

Meanwhile, several Indian bowlers were rewarded for their efforts in the rain-affected opening match of their T20I series in Australia. Renuka Singh moved up six places to fifth, Arundhati Reddy jumped 19 positions to equal 16th, and Shree Charani climbed eight spots to 39th, reflecting their strong contributions with the ball.

–IANS

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