ICC Women's ODI Rankings: India skipper Mithali Raj grabs top spot in the tally

India captain Mithali Raj's excellent show in the three-match series against England has helped her grab the No.1 position in the ICC Women's ODI Player Rankings for the eighth time in her stellar 22-year international career.

The 38-year-old struck 59 in the second match and then guided India to a four-wicket victory in the final match of the series with an unbeaten 75, gaining four spots to reach the top of the ladder in the latest weekly rankings update for women, carried out on Tuesday.

@M_Raj03 is the new No.1

In the latest @MRFWorldwide ICC Women's ODI Player Rankings for batting, the India skipper climbs to the of the table.

Full list: https://t.co/KjDYT8qgqn pic.twitter.com/2HIEC49U5i — ICC (@ICC) July 6, 2021

Mithali Raj had started the tour in the eighth position but her series-topping aggregate of 206 runs has helped her reclaim the top position, which she had last occupied in February 2018. The first time she reached the number one position was in April 2005 after scoring an unbeaten 91 against New Zealand at the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup in Potchefstroom and the difference of more than 16 years at No.1 is the largest for any woman batter.

England's Janette Brittin was number one for the first time in 1984 and the last time in 1995, while New Zealand's Debbie Hockley is the only other female batter to have been No.1 more than 10 years apart -- first achieving the feat in 1987 and for the final time in 1997.

West Indies captain @stafanie07 and @MyNameIs_Hayley make significant gains in the latest @MRFWorldwide ICC Women’s T20I Player Rankings for all-rounders 

Full list: https://t.co/py2wQA3VZq pic.twitter.com/z3w3345fGs — ICC (@ICC) July 6, 2021

In other gains for India players, big-hitting opener Shafali Verma's scores of 44 and 19 in the last two ODIs of the series sees her gain 49 places to reach 71st position while Jhulan Goswami is up to four places to 53rd. In the bowlers' list, all-rounder Deepti Sharma is up to one place to 12th after finishing with figures of three for 47 in the final match.