Shafali Verma, India’s dynamic opener, has risen two spots to fourth in the ICC Women’s T20I Batting Rankings following her first century in the shortest format at the women’s cricket tournament during the ongoing Asian Games. Shafali’s unbeaten 100 against Bangladesh in the semifinal at Nisshin, Japan, followed her unbeaten 40 in India’s win over Japan in the quarterfinal.
Beth Mooney, Georgia Voll, and Laura Wolvaardt maintained their places in the top three. Fourth place represents Verma’s best-ever ranking in the T20I batting charts, achieved through steady performances in two continental tournaments held back-to-back. Verma’s performance in the Asia Cup provided India with a dependable option opening the batting. She scored 64 in the semifinal and 68 in the final, two quick innings that highlighted her worth as an opener in high-pressure moments.
In the most recent rankings update, which includes performances up to Monday, Indian bowlers remain in the top two spots, with Shree Charani leading at number one with 799 rating points and Deepti Sharma just 70 points behind in second place. Their teammates have also seen notable improvements, with Kranti Gaud rising 15 spots to 57th and Nandani Sharma advancing 22 places to 72nd. Both athletes have achieved their highest career rating points, 461 and 432, respectively, after their performances at the Asian Games.
In the final against Sri Lanka, Verma added another valuable contribution with a score of 48 as part of an opening partnership with Mandhana. India ended at 216 for 3, with Mandhana scoring 79 from 45 balls and Richa Ghosh remaining not out on 49 off 22 balls.
Sri Lanka was dismissed for 69 in 15.4 overs, handing India a 147-run win and their second consecutive gold medal in women’s cricket at the Asian Games. Verma also took two wickets in the final, further enhancing her already standout all-round performance in the tournament through her bowling.
