Smriti Mandhana does it again, she is the one who elevates women’s cricket. The opener from India now has a new career-high rating of 828 points and thus, no doubt about it, she is still the world’s No.1 women’s ODI batter. Her recent showings, with a perfect mix of beauty and reliability, have once again proven the point that she is among the best in the world when it comes to limited overs batting in the current era.
Mandhana’s ranking ascendancy has occurred after the outstanding run in the Women’s World Cup 2025, bilateral series against New Zealand and Bangladesh. Her decisive knock of 109 against New Zealand and a not out 34 against Bangladesh were instrumental in India getting the much-needed wins. These contributions not only took India to the top of the ODI rankings but also earned Mandhana her highest-ever ICC rating, which is a considerable distance from her previous best.
The latest update from the ICC reveals that Mandhana has a significant advantage over Ashleigh Gardner from Australia, who is in the second position with 731 points, almost 100 points less. This large difference indicates Mandhana’s superiority and steadiness at the global platform.
What makes her accomplishment even more astounding is the tough and strong rivalries in women’s cricket today. The players such as Alyssa Healy, Natalie Sciver-Brunt, and Laura Wolvaardt are always ready to perform at a high level and hence, it is very difficult to keep the top position for a long time. Mandhana’s aptitude for performing well under pressure and her adjustment to different conditions have indeed made her the mainstay of the Indian batting order across all formats of the game.
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The 29-year-old cricketer also got the ICC Women’s Player of the Month for September 2025, which was a recognition of her ability to turn the games around and also staying calm under pressure. Over the last year, she has been the most dependable player in the Indian team in the ODI format averaging over 60 runs with a good strike rate. The combination of her elegance with her assertiveness is what separates her from her peers.
Among the experts, she is being called the “new face of Indian women’s cricket,” who is taking over the legacy of Mithali Raj. To put it simply, India’s hope is layered over Mandhana as she plays the inning, more often than not, with her fluent stroke making, and with her calm temperament setting up the innings in a most delightful manner and giving India the confidence to play on.
Her phenomenal performance is breaking records and at the same time setting a high bar for the future players. Young and less experienced batters like Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues have repeatedly mentioned Mandhana as being their support and mentor in the locker room.
Mandhana’s role will be pivotal in India’s Women’s Champions Trophy campaign. Should she keep on playing like this, predicting her stay not only as the number one in the ODI rankings but also among the greatest batters of women’s cricket, who ever lived, won’t be an overstatement.
Smriti Mandhana’s journey is still going on, it just keeps ascending, courtesy of her unquenchable desire for runs and her rock-solid consistency.
ICC women’s Cricket Rankings- ODI(Batters)
| Rank | Player (Country) | Points |
| 1 | Smriti Mandhana (India) | 828 |
| 2 | Ashleigh Gardner (Australia) | 731 |
| 3 | Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa) | 716 |
| 4 | Nat Sciver-Brunt (England) | 711 |
| 5 | Beth Mooney (Australia) | 709 |
| 6 | Alyssa Healy (Australia) | 704 |
| 7 | Sophie Devine (New Zealand) | 669 |
| 8 | Hayley Matthews (West Indies) | 663 |
| 9 | Amy Jones (England) | 656 |
| 10 | Ellyse Perry (Australia) | 652 |
Written By: Manjunath S