Star India opener Smriti Mandhana slipped in the ICC T20I rankings despite her match-winning 79 in the Asian Games 2026 final against Sri Lanka.
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Team India Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana (Photo: BCCI Women)
Smriti Mandhana produced another memorable performance for India in the Asian Games 2026 final, but her impressive 79-run knock could not stop her from slipping down the latest ICC Women’s T20I batting rankings.
Mandhana scored 79 off 45 balls against Sri Lanka in the gold-medal match as India posted 216/3 before bowling Sri Lanka out for just 69India won the final by 147 runs to successfully defend their Asian Games women’s cricket title.
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Despite her strong performance, Mandhana dropped one place to sixth in the latest T20I batting rankingsMeanwhile, her India opening partner Shafali Verma moved two places up to fourth following her excellent run in the Asia Cup and Asian Games.
Shafali Verma moves ahead of Smriti Mandhana
Shafali has now become the highest-ranked Indian batter in the latest T20I rankingsShe has 756 rating points, while Mandhana is sixth with 746 points.
The young opener played a key role in India’s successful campaign at the Asian GamesShe remained unbeaten on 40 against Japan in the quarterfinal before smashing her maiden T20I century against Bangladesh in the semifinal.
Shafali then scored a quick 48 off 29 balls in the gold-medal match against Sri Lanka, helping India make a strong start alongside Mandhana.
Mandhana stars in India’s Gold medal win
While Mandhana slipped in the rankings, she ended the Asian Games on a high with one of her best knocks of the tournament.
The left-hander smashed 79 off 45 deliveries, hitting seven sixes, and played a key role in India’s massive total of 216/3She shared a 99-run opening partnership with Shafali, setting the platform for India to finish strongly.
Mandhana also reached a major personal milestone during the finalShe became the first woman cricketer to complete 11,000 international runs across formats.
Harmanpreet Kaur holds 10th spot
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur has retained her 10th position in the latest T20I batting rankings.
At the top, Australia’s Beth Mooney continues to lead the list, followed by Georgia Voll and South Africa captain Laura WolvaardtShafali’s move into fourth means India now have two batters inside the top 10.
Charani, Deepti remain at the top
India continue to dominate the top two spots in the T20I bowling rankings, with Sree Charani and Deepti Sharma holding the first and second positions respectively.
There was also movement further down the list for two more Indian bowlersKranti Gaud moved up 15 places to 57th, while Nandani Sharma climbed 22 places to 72ndBoth players registered career-best points totals after their performances over the past week.
