Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu has achieved career-best rating points in all three categories of the latest ICC Women’s T20I Player Rankings following her outstanding start to the ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026.
The rankings update comes after Sri Lanka opened their title defence with a nine-wicket victory over the United Arab Emirates, earning Athapaththu and several teammates significant improvements across the batting, bowling and all-rounder lists.
Athapaththu Climbs in All Three Rankings
Athapaththu starred in Sri Lanka’s opening victory in Dubai, taking a key wicket before guiding the chase with an unbeaten 48.
Her all-round display has lifted her to sixth in the ICC Women’s T20I batting rankings, 33rd among bowlers and third in the all-rounder standings. The latest update also gives the experienced captain career-best rating points in each of the three categories.
The achievement continues an excellent year for Athapaththu, who also impressed at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, scoring 172 runs and taking three wickets. Her consistent contributions with both bat and ball remain central to Sri Lanka’s hopes of retaining the Asia Cup title.
Sri Lankan Players Continue to Rise
Sri Lanka’s strong start to the tournament has also been reflected in the latest rankings.
Imesha Dulani has climbed four places to 18th among T20I batters, while Harshita Samarawickrama has moved up one position to 23rd.
In the bowling rankings, left-arm spinner Sugandika Kumari has gained five places to reach 23rd, while fast bowler Mithali Ayodhya has made one of the biggest jumps, rising 18 positions to 70th with 444 rating points.
Bangladesh and Pakistan Players Make Progress
Several other Asian players also enjoyed notable gains.
Bangladesh fast bowler Marufa Akter moved up two places to 37th after taking two wickets against Indonesia.
Pakistan spinner Tuba Hassan climbed two positions to share 46th place alongside Bangladesh’s Sultana Khatun following another consistent performance.
Emerging Players Earn Ranking Boosts
The latest rankings also highlight the continued growth of women’s cricket beyond the traditional powerhouses.
Isle of Man batter Lucy Barnett climbed 12 places to joint 67th in the batting rankings alongside Bangladesh’s Dilara Akter, while Romania’s Rebecca Blake made one of the biggest advances, jumping 46 places to share 89th position.
India’s young players also continued their progress. Kranti Gaud moved up six places to joint 83rd in the bowling rankings, while Shree Charani climbed 15 places to joint 81st among all-rounders alongside Zimbabwe’s Kelis Ndhlovu and Namibia’s Mekelaye Mwatile.
Strong Start to Sri Lanka’s Title Defence
With the Asia Cup still in its early stages, further movement in the ICC rankings is expected over the coming weeks.
For Sri Lanka, however, Athapaththu’s career-best ratings across batting, bowling and all-rounders underline her continued importance to the side, while the rise of several teammates reflects the increasing depth within the defending champions’ squad.
