ICC Rankings: Sadia Iqbal briefly claims No.1 T20I bowler spot before Ecclestone reclaims it back

Pakistan's left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal made history by becoming the first from her country to top the ICC Women’s T20I Bowler Rankings, overtaking long-time leader Sophie Ecclestone for a short period before finishing second in the latest update.

Ecclestone, who had held the top spot since February 2020, began the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 as the number one bowler. However, Sadia caught up with her after a brilliant performance against Sri Lanka, where she took three wickets for just 17 runs in a Group A match. This effort saw her draw level with Ecclestone on 757 rating points.

A couple of days later, Ecclestone dropped to second place with 750 points after going wicketless against Bangladesh. This briefly allowed Sadia to take the top spot.

However, Sadia’s time at the top lasted only two days, as Ecclestone reclaimed the number one position after taking two wickets for 15 runs in a Player of the Match performance against South Africa.

Sadia’s rise to the top marked a significant moment for Pakistan cricket, as she became only the second player from the country to reach number one in the women’s rankings. Former captain Sana Mir previously achieved the feat in the ODI bowling rankings in 2018-2019.