Deepti Sharma slips to second in ICC rankings despite India’s 5-0 clean sweep

Star Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma has slipped from the top spot in the ICC Women’s T20I bowling rankings, following the latest update released on Tuesday (Jan 6). The off-spinner dropped to second place after Australia’s Annabel Sutherland regained the No. 1 position, edging ahead by a single rating point. Despite India completing a dominant 5–0 clean sweep against Sri Lanka, Deepti’s figures in the final T20I were not enough to keep her at the top.

She returned with one wicket for 28 runs in the series decider, while Sutherland’s consistent performances helped her move ahead with 736 rating points, one more than Deepti. The Australian fast-bowling all-rounder had earlier reached the top spot in August 2025 before briefly losing it. This is the second time Deepti has been displaced from No. 1, with a similar situation occurring last year when Pakistan spinner Sadia Iqbal allowed Sutherland to take over the rankings.

Harmanpreet gains advantage in batting rankings

While Deepti dropped a place, India still had positives in the latest update. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur climbed two spots to reach 13th in the batting rankings after her match-winning knock in the fifth T20I at Thiruvananthapuram. Harmanpreet smashed 68 runs off 43 balls to guide India to a 15-run win and earn the Player of the Match award.

India’s top-order batters continued to hold firm positions, with Smriti Mandhana remaining third and Shafali Verma staying sixth in the batting rankings. However, Jemimah Rodrigues slipped out of the top 10 and is now placed 12th.

Charani climbs five places in bowling rankings

There was also some movement among Indian bowlers, as left-arm spinner Shree Charani made notable progress by climbing five places to reach 47th. Sri Lanka’s Kavisha Dilhari and captain Chamari Athapaththu also gained ground in the bowling rankings after the series.

India’s commanding performance against Sri Lanka underlined the team’s growing depth, even if individual rankings saw minor shifts. Deepti Sharma remains one of the most reliable bowlers in women’s T20 cricket, and with key tournaments ahead, the battle for the top spot in the rankings is far from settled.