Sadia Iqbal reclaims top spot in ICC women’s T20I bowling ranking

Published
Sadia Iqbal celebrates with Muneeba Ali. — PCB
Sadia Iqbal celebrates with Muneeba Ali. — PCB

Pakistan women’s left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal reclaimed her position at the top of the ICC Women’s Twenty-20 International (T20I) Bowler Rankings, Cricket’s governing body announced on Tuesday.

Sadia was also pivotal to Pakistan’s win in the recently concluded ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifiers in Lahore and was named in the team of the tournament for her nine scalps for an average of 16.

Her economy, like her spin twin Nashra Sandhu, was under four, and this meant that the duo provided the hosts the stranglehold during the middle overs and helped them maintain an unbeaten run throughout the tournament.

“[Sadia] was one of the leading performers at last year’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup and rises one spot on the rankings for T20I bowlers to claim top billing”, the ICC statement said.

She replaces England spinner Sophie Ecclestone at the top spot who sat out her side’s recent T20I series at home against the West Indies. Her team-mate Lauren Bell however, rose 13 places to jump to sixth overall on the back of her seven wickets for the series against the West Indies.

For the batters, “the big winner on the rankings for T20I batters is Hayley Matthews, with the West Indies captain making some inroads on Australia’s dominance at the top of the rankings following her Player of the Series efforts against England,” the ICC added.

Last year in the T20 World Cup, Sadia Iqbal claimed three wickets for Pakistan as the Green Team beat Asia Cup champions Sri Lanka in their opening encounter of that tournament.

On the back of that match-winning performance, she subsequently became the first Pakistani woman bowler to top the ICC rankings.

Opinion

Editorial

Debt that stays
30 Jul, 2026

Debt that stays

THE power sector’s circular debt grew by Rs61bn in the last fiscal year, taking the total to roughly Rs1.67tr from...
HIV warning
30 Jul, 2026

HIV warning

THE HIV infections detected around two SESSI-run hospitals in Karachi demand far more than another hurried committee...
End trafficking
30 Jul, 2026

End trafficking

MODERN slavery, in the form of human trafficking, is among the state’s gravest failures. Scores of Pakistanis are...
AJK elections
29 Jul, 2026

AJK elections

CONSIDERING the political unrest that has rocked Azad Jammu and Kashmir in the recent past, free and fair general...
Still vulnerable
29 Jul, 2026

Still vulnerable

THE State Bank’s decision to hold the policy rate at 11.5pc is a prudent response to the heightened risks the...
Guarding the past
29 Jul, 2026

Guarding the past

THE return of 513 smuggled archaeological artefacts from the US is a welcome homecoming for objects that should ...