Sadia Iqbal returns to No 1 on ICC Women’s T20I bowling chart

Pakistan spinner Sadia Iqbal has reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the ICC Women’s T20I bowling rankings, as announced by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday.

Iqbal, who was instrumental in Pakistan’s performance during last year’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, moved up one position to regain the top ranking. Her return to the summit follows England’s Sophie Ecclestone missing the recent T20I series against the West Indies, which led to a reshuffle in the rankings.

Ecclestone, previously ranked first, has now slipped to fourth, making way for Iqbal to reclaim the position she briefly held during the 2023 World Cup.

In other ranking updates, England pacer Lauren Bell climbed 13 spots to reach sixth after taking seven wickets in the West Indies series. Fellow English bowlers also saw improvements — Linsey Smith surged 37 places to 41st, while Issy Wong jumped 32 positions to a joint-62nd rank.