India’s left-arm spinner Shree Charani has created a new record in the ICC women’s T20I bowling rankings, reaching the highest rating ever recorded by a bowler in T20 cricket.
The 22-year-old gained 18 rating points in the latest weekly rankings update, taking her tally to 817. The landmark figure puts her clear of the previous record held by Australia’s fast bowler Megan Schutt, who reached 806 rating points in November 2018.
The latest rankings were released on Tuesday, confirming Charani’s rapid rise in the format. Her achievement comes only two weeks after she became the first Indian women’s cricketer to reach the 800-point mark in the T20 bowling rankings.
Before Charani reached that milestone, only Schutt and England’s left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone had crossed 800 points in the history of the format. Ecclestone’s career-best rating stands at 802, leaving Charani, Schutt and Ecclestone as the only three bowlers to have reached that level.
Charani’s record-setting run has been closely linked to her recent performances for India. She played a significant role in the team’s gold-medal campaign at the Asian Games, where her economical bowling was particularly effective during the decisive stages of the tournament.
In the final against Sri Lanka, Charani took two wickets while conceding only 13 runs. Across her three matches in the competition, she claimed eight wickets, underlining her consistency throughout India’s campaign.
Her latest ranking also gives India a strong presence at the top of the T20 bowling chart. Charani occupies first place with 817 points, while fellow Indian Deepti Sharma is second on 754. Deepti took three wickets in the final against Sri Lanka. Ecclestone is third with 723 points.
The rankings also reflect strong performances by Indian batters. Smriti Mandhana moved up one place to fifth in the T20 batting rankings after scoring 79 against Sri Lanka in the Asian Games final. Australia’s Beth Mooney continues to occupy the top position in the T20 batting list.
In the T20 all-rounder rankings, West Indies captain and all-rounder Hayley Matthews remains at the top. The latest update therefore continues to show a strong concentration of leading players from several major women’s cricketing nations across the batting, bowling and all-rounder categories.
Mandhana also holds the number-one position in the women’s ODI batting rankings. Australia’s Alana King leads the ODI bowling rankings, while her compatriot Ashleigh Gardner sits at the top of the ODI all-rounder rankings.
For Charani, however, the immediate focus will be on maintaining the level of performance that has taken her from the 800-point milestone to the highest rating ever recorded in T20 cricket. Her latest rise represents a significant individual achievement and places her at the centre of attention in the women’s T20 game.
