Sadia Iqbal made history as the first Pakistani player to top the International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s T20I rankings when she briefly surpassed England’s Sophie Ecclestone, the long-standing No. 1 spinner.
The milestone came after Sadia achieved impressive figures of three wickets for 17 runs against Sri Lanka in a Group A match during the ongoing ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, drawing level with Ecclestone at 757 rating points. Ecclestone, who had held the top spot since February 2020, slipped to second place after failing to take a wicket against Bangladesh, resulting in her rating dropping to 750 points.
However, Sadia’s stint at the summit was short-lived. Ecclestone quickly regained her position as she claimed two wickets for 15 runs against South Africa, earning the Player of the Match award and resuming her dominance in the rankings.
Sadia Iqbal’s achievement marks her as only the second Pakistani player to reach the top of the women’s rankings; former captain Sana Mir held the No. 1 spot in ODI bowling rankings from 2018 to 2019.
In addition to Sadia and Ecclestone’s battle for the top spot, there were notable advancements in the rankings for South African openers Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits. Wolvaardt climbed to third place after scoring 52 not out against the West Indies and 42 against England, while Brits reached sixth position with scores of 57 not out against the West Indies and 13 against England, both achieving their career-best-equalling rankings.
