Mithali, Mandhana drop in ICC Women's ODI Player rankings

Skipper Mithali Raj and Smriti Mandhana slipped a couple of places to the fourth and 10th spots respectively in the batting chart of the latest ICC Women's ODI Player Rankings released on Tuesday.

While Raj (718 points) was dismissed cheaply for nine runs, Mandhana (670 points) had hit a 75-ball 52 in India's opening women's ODI World Cup match against Pakistan on Sunday.

The Indian pair of Sneh Rana (53 not out) and Pooja Vastrakar (67 runs), however, moved up to their career best positions following their half-centuries in the team's 107-run win over Pakistan in the opening game.

Rana and Vastrakar had added 122 for India's seventh wicket to lift them from 114-6 against Pakistan and both moved up to their career best positions with the bat.

Vastrakar occupies the 64th spot, while Rana still doesn't figure in the top 100.

Veteran pacer Jhulan Goswami was static at fourth in the bowlers' chart but spin all-rounder Deepti Sharma slipped a spot to the sixth position in all-rounders' rankings.

The first five games of the ICC event have caused a lot of movement in the women's ODI player rankings with Australia skipper Meg Lanning climbing up two spots in the rankings for batters.

She is now just one position and 15 rating points away from the top spot that's currently occupied by her teammate Alyssa Healy.

Lanning was in sublime form in the first game against defending champions England, smashing 86 in 110 balls seven fours and a six, which helped Australia post a massive total of 310.

They eventually won the game in the last over by 12 runs.

The Player of the Match from the game, Rachael Haynes, who slammed a brilliant 130 of 131, climbed six spots and broke into the top 10 to occupy the No.7 spot in the rankings. The other centurion from the game -- England's Nat Sciver rose five spots to No.6.

Hayley Matthews of West Indies made considerable gains across the board in the rankings for batters, bowlers as well as all-rounders.

She was the Player of the Match in West Indies' three-run heist against New Zealand – she scored a brilliant 119 to set a target of 260 for the White Ferns and then accounted for the wickets of the in-form Amelia Kerr and Brooke Halliday.

Matthews broke into the top 5 in the all-rounders' list, climbing six spots to No.4 and rose a massive 12 spots to No.20 for batters and three spots No.10 for bowlers.

Among the other players that moved up the rankings were South Africa's Ayabonga Khaka, whose four-for against Bangladesh in the opening game helped her rise a spot to No.6.