India’s women’s T20 World Cup campaign has found a new headline act, and her name is Sree Charani.
The young left-arm spinner has risen to the top of the ICC Women’s T20I bowling rankings for the first time, a reward for a breakout tournament that has quickly turned her into one of India’s biggest weapons.
Charani’s rise has been built on impact, not just promise. In three matches at the World Cup, she has already picked up 10 wickets, making her the tournament’s leading wicket-taker so far.
Her spell against the Netherlands, where she returned 4 for 19, underlined her control and attacking instinct, while another three wickets against South Africa showed she could remain threatening even in a defeat. Those performances have pushed her past England’s Linsey Smith and into the No. 1 spot.
For India, the ranking is more than a personal milestone. It reflects how central Charani has become to their campaign.
At just 21, she has brought calm, bite and variety to the attack, often changing the tone of an innings with one spell. Her success also adds a fresh layer to India’s bowling strength at a crucial stage of the tournament.
There was movement elsewhere in the rankings too. England’s Charlie Dean climbed to second among bowlers, while Sophie Ecclestone moved up to fourth.
In the batting list, Australia’s Georgia Voll retained the top spot, with Beth Mooney close behind. Among Indians, Shafali Verma rose to sixth, and Harmanpreet Kaur moved into the top 10.
But this update belongs to Charani. In the space of a few World Cup nights, she has gone from emerging spinner to the best-ranked T20I bowler in the world, and India will hope there is still plenty more to come.