Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu has made significant strides in the ICC Women’s T20I Player Rankings following her standout performance in the opening weekend of the Women’s Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
Athapaththu’s unbeaten 25‑ball 48 and one for 10 in three overs against the UAE lifted her to career‑best rating points across all categories, 734 in batting, 552 in bowling, and 405 as an all‑rounder. She remains sixth in the batting rankings, climbs three places to 33rd in bowling, and holds firm at third among all‑rounders.
Her opening partner Imesha Dulai also advanced four slots to a career‑high 18th place with 625 points after scoring 25 off 18 deliveries. Among the bowlers, Mithali Ayodhya surged 18 places to 70th with a career‑best 444 points following her three for 14, while Sugandika Kumari moved up five slots to 23rd after taking two for 18.
Elsewhere in the tournament, Thailand edged Hong Kong by six runs but fell heavily to India. Nannapat Koncharoenkai gained one place to 29th after scoring 41 against India, while Suleeporn Laomi climbed five spots to joint‑63rd with three for 26.
Bangladesh impressed with a 71‑run win over Indonesia. Sobhana Mostary rose one slot to 39th with a career‑best 500 points, and Marufa Akter gained two places to 37th after taking two for six. India’s Nandani Sharma leapt 38 slots to 112th following her three for 18 against Thailand.
In Associate team news, Lucy Barnett of the Isle of Man finished as the leading run‑scorer in the Continental Cup in Romania with 257 runs, moving to joint‑67th. Romania’s Rebecca Blake scored 197 runs without dismissal, now averaging 153.00 in T20Is and climbing to joint‑89th in batting. (ICC)