Smriti Mandhana climbs to World No 1 spot in ODI batting rankings

Indian star Smriti Mandhana will head to the ICC Women's World Cup starting this month as the No 1-ranked ODI batter. Mandhana climbed to a place to reach the summit of the latest ICC rankings.

She displaced Nat Sciver-Brunt of England to be the new World No 1. Mandhana is World No 3 in T20I rankings, behind Australia's Beth Mooney and West Indies' Hayley Matthews.

Mandhana was the No 1 ODI batter earlier this year and had first held the position in 2019.

In the bowling rankings, India's Deepti Sharma slipped three spots to be ranked seventh in ODIs. Sharma remains fourth in the all-rounder rankings.

Mandhana scored a half-century against Australia in the ODI series opener in Chandigarh, which the visitors won by eight wickets after Mooney (77 not out) and Phoebe Litchfield (88) starred in a chase of 282.

India will play two more ODIs against Australia before the World Cup, set to begin in Guwahati on September 30.

The World Cup will be played till November 2, and India are aiming for their maiden title, having finished runners-up twice.