DUBAI: On the back of her unbeaten half-century against Pakistan in the Commonwealth Games, star India opener Smriti Mandhana has moved a rug up to a career-best third position in the ICC T20I rankings for batters.
Mandhana, who scored 24 in India’s game against Australia in Birmingham, followed it up with a match-winning unbeaten 63 off 42 balls against Pakistan. She has overtaken New Zealand’s Sophie Devine and reached within two rating points of Australia’s Beth Mooney.
Mooney with 707 rating points is at the second position while her compatriot Meg Lanning continues to lead the rankings for the batters after regaining the top spot last week. Lanning has 733 rating points.
The left-handed Mandhana, a formerly top-ranked batter in ODIs, has been ranked third in T20Is in the past too, reaching that position for the first time in 2019 and having last held third position in October last year.
Meanwhile, New Zealand’s Suzie Bates…