Sophie Ecclestone faces stiff competition as Sarah Glenn closes in T20I bowler rankings

New Delhi [India], December 3 : Sophie Ecclestone's position as the premier T20I bowler is under threat, with her England teammate Sarah Glenn closing the gap in the latest ICC Women's T20I Player Rankings.
Ecclestone, who took just two wickets in England's recent 3-0 series victory over South Africa, saw her lead at the top shrink to a mere 23 ratings points.
Sarah Glenn emerged as a standout performer during the series, claiming five wickets and climbing three spots to tie with Pakistan's Sadia Iqbal for the second position. Fellow England spinner Charlie Dean, the leading wicket-taker of the series, made significant gains, rising six places to ninth. Additionally, Lauren Bell advanced five spots to 15th overall following her two wickets from two appearances.
In the T20I batting rankings, Australian players Beth Mooney and Tahlia McGrath maintained their first and second positions, respectively. However, several England players made notable progress. Nat Sciver-Brunt moved up two places to 12th after scoring 126 runs in the series. Danni Wyatt-Hodge, with 142 runs, jumped three places to 14th, while Maia Bouchier climbed one spot to 25th.
The ODI rankings also saw significant movement, particularly among Bangladesh players following their 3-0 series sweep over Ireland. Sharmin Akhter Supta, the Player of the Series with 211 runs at an average of 70.33, re-entered the rankings at 43rd place. Teammates Fargana Hoque and Nigar Sultana also climbed the rankings, moving to 16th and 28th respectively. For Ireland, Amy Hunter rose to 32nd and Laura Delany to 39th in the ODI batting rankings.
Bangladesh's Nahida Akter was a major mover among ODI bowlers, advancing three spots to seventh overall after taking six wickets against Ireland. Sultana Khatun and Rabeya also improved their standings, moving to 31st and 40th respectively. For Ireland, Arlene Kelly climbed to 27th among ODI bowlers, while Orla Prendergast advanced to 23rd in the all-rounder rankings.
These rankings reflect the ongoing competitive nature of international women's cricket, with players from various teams making significant strides and challenging established leaders.