Dubai, April 15 (IANS) As the race for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 intensifies through the ongoing Qualifier, several standout performers have been rewarded with significant leaps in the latest ICC Women’s ODI Rankings — a testament to their match-winning contributions on the big stage.
Leading the pack is West Indies skipper Hayley Matthews, who continues to stake a strong claim for the No.1 all-rounder spot currently held by Australia’s Ashleigh Gardner. Matthews has been in imperious form in Pakistan, smashing an unbeaten century and picking up 10 wickets in her first three games.
Her all-round brilliance has elevated her to 432 rating points, narrowing the gap on South Africa’s Marizanne Kapp (444) and Gardner (470), and firmly placing her ahead of England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt (375), who sits fourth.
Her performances with the ball have pushed her up two places to a joint-seventh position in the ODI Bowling Rankings, where she is now level with Australia’s Alana King at 642 points. Her West Indian campaign is further buoyed by Pakistan’s Rabeya Khan and captain Fatima Sana, who have also enjoyed upward movement — Rabeya rising seven spots to 23rd and Sana jumping 15 spots to 32nd.
Meanwhile, Ireland’s Orla Prendergast has emerged as one of the most promising all-rounders at the Qualifier. With four wickets and consistent batting contributions — 37 against Pakistan and 41 against Bangladesh — Prendergast has climbed eight places in the all-rounder rankings to 14th, with a career-high 193 points. She has also broken into the top 50 ODI bowlers for the first time in her young career, showcasing her rising potential on the global stage.
In the batting rankings, Matthews continues to rise and now eyes sixth-placed Alyssa Healy of Australia. However, the biggest leap has come from Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana Joty. The in-form skipper has moved up 16 spots to 17th after an electric start at the Qualifier, including a dazzling century (101) against Thailand and a composed 51 against Ireland. With a career-best rating of 563, Joty now surpasses her teammate Fargana Hoque Pinky (541), becoming Bangladesh’s highest-ranked ODI batter.
–IANS
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