Indian captain Mithali Raj will enter the Women’s World Cup, beginning on Thursday, as the number-one ranked player on the Reliance ICC Women’s Player Rankings for ODI batswomen.
Raj, who is appearing in her fourth successive Women’s World Cup, will lead her side in the opening match of the tournament at the Cricket Club of India (Brabourne Stadium) in Mumbai in a Group A match against the West Indies on Thursday.
Raj currently tops the batting table with 767 ratings points. West Indies’ Stafanie Taylor is ranked second, 22 ratings points behind.
The England duo of Sarah Taylor and Lydia Greenway are third and fourth, while New Zealand’s Amy Satterthwaite in fifth spot completes the top five.
The fight for the top slot in the Reliance ICC Women’s Player Rankings for ODI bowlers is even more interesting.
England’s Katherine Brunt currently heads the bowlers’ table with 777 ratings points. But Brunt will face a tough challenge from Australia’s Lisa Sthalekar, who is currently second with 764 ratings points.
India’s Jhulan Goswami at third, Ellyse Perry of Australia in fourth and England’s Laura Marsh in fifth are the other bowlers within the top 10 who are likely to make improvements.
Stafanie Taylor is currently the clear leader in the Reliance ICC Women’s Player Rankings for ODI all—rounders’ with 453 ratings points, followed by Lisa Sthalekar in second place and New Zealand’s Nicola Browne in third spot.
The player rankings will be updated on February 18 at the conclusion of the tournament.
