ICC Rankings Update Sees Smriti Mandhana Back at the Summit
The ICC rankings have gone through their weekly update yet again, and it is a positive one for the Indian fans. The star batter, Smriti Mandhana, has risen to the top of the ODI rankings. After dominating 2025 in the 50-over format, she continues to reign in the rankings this year also.
The ICC rankings have gone through their weekly update yet again, and it is a positive one for the Indian fans. The star batter, Smriti Mandhana, has risen to the top of the ODI rankings. After dominating 2025 in the 50-over format, she continues to reign in the rankings this year also.
Smriti Mandhana has carried her 2025 momentum perfectly well into 2026. While the India tour of Australia did not have a positive ending for her, she has regained her spot at number one in the ICC ODI rankings. The weekly update took place a few hours ago, and the competition between Mandhana and Wolvaardt has now almost ended.
Laura Wolvaardt has been dropped to the second spot in the rankings. On the other hand, Smriti Mandhana has now gained the top spot yet again, as she continues to reign in the Women's ODI. Not just the ODI rankings, she has also gained ranks in the T20 format, showcasing her dominance for the Indian team.
Smriti’s Rise
Smriti Mandhana had some good games during the India tour of Australia. While India won the T20I series, Australia was able to get a clean sweep in the ODI series. Still, Mandhana was able to do well with the bat on some occasions, which has allowed her to get a rise. She has now dethroned Laura Wolvaardt from the top spot.
Smriti Mandhana in India tour of Australia:
- First T20I: 16 (17)
- Second T20I: 31 (24)
- Third T20I: 82 (55)
- First ODI: 58 (68)
- Second ODI: 31 (37)
- Third ODI: 0 (4)
Mandhana now sits at the top with 790 points but she is closely being followed by Laura Wolvaardt with 782 points. The Australian players, Beth Mooney, Alyssa Healy, and Ashleigh Gardner also gained ranks as they all now stand in the top five ODI batter rankings.
In the T20I format, Smriti Mandhana has been on a whole different level. She also performed well for the Indian team in the series against Sri Lanka and continued the form in the series against Australia too. She has dethroned Hayley Matthews from the 2nd spot, and now stands just behind Beth Mooney with a margin of 17 points.
For the first time, Smriti Mandhana gained the top spot in the ICC ODI rankings back in 2019. Since then it has been back and forth for her, as she always remained close to the top. But lately in her prime form, no other batter has been able to come close to her form in the ODI format of the game.
Mandhana & Wolvaardt's Competition
While Smriti Mandhana had her best time in 2025, she was not the only player to dominate with the bat. She also received close competition from Laura Wolvaardt in the ICC rankings. Wolvaardt also dominated well for the Proteas in the ODI format, as she even went on to do well for the team in the ODI World Cup.
Even in the ICC rankings, both of the players went neck to neck for the top spot. Laura Wolvaardt eventually had a good time at the 2025 Women's World Cup with the bat. While Smriti Mandhana was playing at her home ground, runs didn't come up at the same speed like that of Laura Wolvaardt.
With the Women's World Cup, Laura Wolvaardt had gained the top spot in the ICC rankings. But who could have kept Smriti Mandhana out of this race even after the Women's World Cup. She went on to dominate with the bat against Australia, while Wolvaardt failed to register even a single half-century in the series against Pakistan.
Smriti Mandhana Continues 2025 Form in 2026
Taking a look at the recent ICC rankings, it can be said that Smriti Mandhana is continuing her 2025 form even in 2026. Being at the top in the ODI rankings and among the top three in T20I rankings, she has been a vital player for the Indian team. Moreover, the T20 World Cup 2026 is coming soon, and such form by Mandhana brings a big positive for the Indian team.
Smriti Mandhana in ODIs in 2025:
- Innings: 23
- Not Out: 1
- Runs: 1362
- Average: 61.90
- Strike Rate: 109.92
- 100s: 5
- 50s: 5
But 2025 seemed to be the best year not just for Mandhana, but for the history of Women's cricket in India. Watching her prolific ODI performances, she also received the ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year award. She didn't just break records, she also made some records of her own, dominating in her own league.
In the ODI format, Smriti Mandhana was able to score 1362 runs in 2025 alone. This helped her to make the record of most runs in the ODI format in a calendar year for Women's cricket. Moreover, she was able to score 5 centuries in ODIs, which now makes her level with the greats for this record.
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