DUBAI, United Arab Emirates | September 22, 2026 —
First came the runs. Then came the Asian Games gold. Now Shafali Verma has received another reward — a place among the world’s top four T20I batters.
The explosive Indian opener has climbed two places to No. 4 in the latest ICC Women’s T20I Batting Rankings, reaching 756 rating points after a sensational run at the Asian Games 2026.
And Shafali is not the only Indian making noise.
While she has stormed up the batting chart, Shree Charani and Deepti Sharma continue to occupy the top two places in the ICC Women’s T20I Bowling Rankings.
For Indian women’s cricket, this is turning into quite a week.
Gold Medal First, ICC Top Four Next
Shafali entered the Asian Games in aggressive form and never really took her foot off the accelerator.
Against host Japan in the quarterfinal, she smashed an unbeaten 40 as India cruised through the chase.
Then came the innings that changed her rankings story.
Facing Bangladesh in the semifinal, Shafali hammered an unbeaten 100, registering her maiden T20I century.
It was not a cautious hundred built slowly over time.
It was pure Shafali.
Power.
Intent.
Sixes.
Pressure on the bowlers from the beginning.
She then added another 48 runs against Sri Lanka in the gold-medal final, helping India post 216/3 before the bowlers demolished Sri Lanka for 69.
India won by 147 runs and successfully defended its Asian Games women’s cricket crown.
Shafali walked away with gold.
The ICC rankings followed.
Shafali Overtakes Big Names
With 756 rating points, Shafali has moved ahead of India teammate Smriti Mandhana and West Indies star Hayley Matthews in the latest batting rankings.
The top three places remain occupied by some of the biggest names in women’s cricket, but Shafali is now right behind them.
That creates a fascinating situation for India.
Mandhana has long been one of the most dependable batters in women’s cricket.
Shafali brings a completely different kind of threat.
When she gets going, bowlers do not merely try to dismiss her.
They try to survive her.
One Century Changed the Conversation
Shafali’s unbeaten century against Bangladesh was particularly important.
The opener had already established herself as one of world cricket’s most destructive hitters, but a first T20I century added another layer to her record.
She attacked Bangladesh throughout the semifinal and powered India into the title clash.
The innings also demonstrated something important about her development.
Shafali is no longer simply a batter who can produce a breathtaking 30 or 40.
She is increasingly capable of turning those starts into match-defining innings.
And that is precisely the kind of improvement that pushes players up world rankings.
India Owns the Top Two Bowling Spots
If Shafali’s rise is the headline, India’s bowling rankings contain an equally impressive story.
Shree Charani remains the world’s No. 1 Women’s T20I bowler with 799 rating points.
Right behind her is Deepti Sharma at No. 2, trailing Charani by 70 points.
That means the top of the global T20I bowling table currently reads:
No. 1 — Shree Charani, India
No. 2 — Deepti Sharma, India
Two Indians.
Two top positions.
And a significant gap over much of the competition.
Kranti Gaud and Nandani Sharma Make Big Jumps
India’s bowling gains do not stop with Charani and Deepti.
Kranti Gaud has jumped 15 places to No. 57, reaching a career-best 461 rating points.
Nandani Sharma has climbed an even bigger 22 positions to No. 72, with a career-high 432 points.
The Asian Games performances have therefore produced movement throughout India’s bowling group, not merely at the top.
That is a particularly encouraging sign for a team looking to build depth around its established stars.
Pakistan’s Shawaal Zulfiqar Breaks Into Top 30
Pakistan also has plenty to celebrate in the latest rankings.
Shawaal Zulfiqar has surged 16 places to No. 29, breaking into the top 30 for the first time with a career-best 558 rating points.
She scored 25 against Indonesia in the Asian Games quarterfinal before following it with a valuable 54 against Sri Lanka in the semifinal.
Those performances delivered a major rankings boost.
Ayesha Zafar Makes a 31-Place Leap
If Shawaal’s jump was big, Ayesha Zafar’s was even bigger.
The Pakistan batter has climbed an extraordinary 31 places to No. 40 after scoring 71 against Sri Lanka.
Her 489 rating points are also a career best.
And she has not improved only as a batter.
Ayesha has moved nine places up to No. 30 in the Women’s T20I All-Rounder Rankings.
That makes her one of the biggest movers in this week’s update.
Pakistan Bowlers Also Gain Ground
Pakistan’s bowling department has benefited too.
Sadia Iqbal has moved one place up to No. 8.
Captain Fatima Sana has jumped five places to No. 24.
Bangladesh’s Sanjida Akter Meghla has climbed five places to joint-49th.
The Asian Games therefore had an immediate impact far beyond the medal table.
Performances in Japan are now reshaping the international rankings as well.
South Africa’s 5-0 Sweep Produces Huge Rankings Gains
Away from the Asian Games, South Africa’s emphatic 5-0 T20I series victory over Zimbabwe also created some dramatic movements.
Few were bigger than Miane Smit’s.
After scoring a century in the fourth T20I, Smit rocketed 63 places to a career-best joint-53rd in the batting rankings.
A 63-place rise in one update is the kind of movement that immediately gets attention.
Anneke Bosch Returns to Top 50
South Africa’s Anneke Bosch was another major beneficiary.
She finished the five-match series as the leading run-scorer with 214 runs and was named Player of the Series.
Bosch has now climbed eight places to No. 46, returning to the world’s top 50.
South Africa did not merely sweep the series.
Its players converted that dominance into valuable ranking points.
Zimbabwe Finds One Bright Spot
Zimbabwe may have lost the series 5-0, but Nyasha Gwanzura produced an individual rankings breakthrough.
She took four wickets during the series while recording Zimbabwe’s best economy rate of 7.41.
That effort pushed her 28 places up to No. 87 in the T20I Bowling Rankings.
It is the first time she has entered the top 100.
Latest ICC Women’s T20I Movers
| Player | Category | New Position |
|---|---|---|
| Shafali Verma | Batting | 4th |
| Shawaal Zulfiqar | Batting | 29th |
| Ayesha Zafar | Batting | 40th |
| Anneke Bosch | Batting | 46th |
| Miane Smit | Batting | Joint-53rd |
| Shree Charani | Bowling | 1st |
| Deepti Sharma | Bowling | 2nd |
| Sadia Iqbal | Bowling | 8th |
| Fatima Sana | Bowling | 24th |
| Kranti Gaud | Bowling | 57th |
| Nandani Sharma | Bowling | 72nd |
| Nyasha Gwanzura | Bowling | 87th |
Shafali’s Week Keeps Getting Better
This has been the kind of week cricketers remember.
A maiden T20I hundred.
A place in the Asian Games final.
A gold medal.
Runs in the final.
And now a climb to No. 4 in the world.
For Shafali Verma, the ranking is not merely another number beside her name.
It is evidence that her latest run of performances is being converted into something bigger — consistency at the highest level.
And India’s rankings story looks equally impressive.
A batter in the world’s top four.
Two bowlers sitting at No. 1 and No. 2.
A gold medal already around their necks.
The Asian Games may have finished for India’s women’s cricket team, but the rewards are still arriving.
