Sadia Iqbal makes return to top of ICC Women's T20I bowler ranking

Pakistan spinner Sadia Iqbal regained top position in the ICC Women's T20I ranking announced by the International Cricket Council on Tuesday.

Iqbal, who played a pivotal role in Pakistan's campaign during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup last year, climbed one position to reclaim the No.1 ranking.

Her return to the top comes after England's premier spinner Sophie Ecclestone missed the recent T20I series against the West Indies, prompting a reshuffle in the rankings.

Ecclestone, who had been holding the top spot, dropped to fourth, allowing Iqbal to regain the position she briefly held during last year’s World Cup.

Meanwhile, England pacer Lauren Bell made significant strides, surging 13 places to reach sixth overall after taking seven wickets in the series.

Other English bowlers also moved up, with Linsey Smith climbing 37 spots to 41st and Issy Wong jumping 32 places to joint-62nd.

On the batting front, West Indies captain Hayley Matthews delivered an outstanding performance in England, scoring 177 runs at an average of 88.50 across three matches.

Her efforts earned her the Player of the Series title and a two-place jump to second in the T20I batting rankings. She now closely trails Australia’s Beth Mooney, who remains the No.1 ranked batter. Tahlia McGrath of Australia slipped to third due to Matthews’ impressive rise.

England batters also made notable progress. Nat Sciver-Brunt moved up five places to ninth, Heather Knight advanced seven spots to joint-17th, and Sophia Dunkley climbed eight positions to joint-29th following her consistent contributions with the bat.

Matthews further cemented her dominance in the T20I all-rounder rankings.

Along with her batting exploits, she also picked up three wickets during the series, strengthening her grip as the top-ranked all-rounder in the format.