Shafali Verma consolidates top spot in ICC T20 rankings

Shafali Verma’s blistering 30-ball 60 in the final match of the home series against South Africa has helped garner 26 rating points and consolidate her position at the top of the ICC Women’s T20I Player Rankings.

India opener Shafali Verma has consolidated her position at the top of the ICC Women's T20I rankings, courtesy of her bombastic 30-ball 60 in the final match of the series against South Africa.

India's Shafali Verma in action against South Africa.(Twitter)

Verma, who gained 26 rating points for her blistering knock at Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, continues to hold the top spot with 776 rating points. She is followed by Australia's Beth Mooney, who is 35 points behind her at 741 points.

Verma's fellow opener Smriti Mandhana has jumped up a spot to sixth following her unbeaten 28-ball 48. He stitched a match-winning 96-run stand with teen sensation Verma to see their team over the line in the final T20I.

Left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad’s match-winning spell of three for nine has taken her 12 places higher to a career-best 13th position among bowlers, while seamer Arundhati Reddy has risen 15 places to take over the 56th position in the tally.

For the Proteas, who won the T20I series 2-1 after winning the ODI series 4-1, skipper Sune Luus had gained one place to slot in the 37th position after her knock of 28. On the other hand, Tumi Sekhukhune rose seven places to 42. All-rounder Nadine de Klerk has advanced two slots to catch up with compatriot Moseline Daniels at the joint-66th place.

Shafali Verma's dream start to her international career continues. In 2019, at the age of 15, she became the youngest cricketer to play in a women's Twenty20 International match for India.

She became the youngest half-centurion for India in international cricket when she scored 73 against West Indies in November 2019. In that five-match series, the right-hander scored 158 runs in five matches and was named the player of the series.

The Haryana-born batter has played 22 T20I matches so far, bagging 617 runs at an average of 29.83. Her career strike-rate so far 148.31 and has three fifties to her name.