Harmanpreet Kaur gains in ICC rankings, captain Smriti loses top spot

Harmanpreet Kaur's return to form has been reflected in the latest ICC women's ODI rankings, with the India batter gaining ground after a prolific run against Zimbabwe. Meanwhile, current captain Smriti Mandhana has lost her position at the top of the ODI batters' list to South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt following a lean run in the ongoing series.

Harmanpreet has looked in impressive touch since stepping down as India's captain after leading the team to a second successive Asian Games gold medal in Japan. She struck an unbeaten 91 in the T20I leg of the Zimbabwe series before following it up with a century in the second ODI, helping India take an unassailable lead in the three-match contest.

The 36-year-old recently opened up about the work she put in to rediscover her form, revealing that she had spent considerable time batting during her break at home.

"I have practised a lot at home. The more you bat, the more



confident you get. I batted in the morning, afternoon and evening -- three sessions," Harmanpreet said while speaking to teammate Deepti Sharma in a video uploaded by the BCCI.

"I am someone who requires a lot of training. Looking at my age, I like to spend a lot of time on my fitness. More than that, I batted a lot because I felt like batting was lacking a little. The time I spent at home is helping me," she added.

While Harmanpreet has climbed in the ODI rankings, Mandhana has slipped from the top position after scores of 32 and zero in recent matches against Zimbabwe. The India opener has been overtaken by Wolvaardt, who now leads the ODI batters' rankings.

Mandhana's dip comes as Harmanpreet and Deepti Sharma delivered match-winning centuries in the second ODI. Their performances helped India secure the series with a match to spare, underlining the depth of the batting line-up even as the rankings shifted.