Ashleigh Gardner tops ICC all-rounders charts for stellar series in India

Ashleigh Gardner is the number one ranked T20I bowler [Source: Twitter]

Australian cricketer Ashleigh Gardner has claimed the top spot in ICC Women’s T20I all-rounder rankings. The 25-year-old recently starred in Australia’s emphatic 4-1 series win in India, and was even adjudged as ‘Player of the Match’ in the final two games in Brabourne.

Gardner’s stellar outing elevated her to number one ranking, displacing New Zealand’s Sophie Devine from the throne.

Ashleigh Gardner becomes new number one all-rounder

The Australian star recorded an unbeaten 66 against India in the final match of their five-game series. She also took 2-20 off her four overs later, and capped the series with seven wickets to her name. Moreover, in the penultimate match, the right-hander clobbered a rapid 42 in the death overs as Australia sneaked past hosts in a final-over tussle.

Gardner now holds 417 rating points on the ICC rankings, thus putting her much ahead of second-placed Devine (389 points). India’s Deepti Sharma (387), West Indies’ Hayley Matthews (381) and New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr (357) occupy the next three slots in the top 10 charts.

Notably, Gardner also jumped two spots to number seven in the ICC Women’s T20I batting rankings. Through her twin match-winning batting efforts at Brabourne, the cricketer leapfrogged Suzie Bates and fellow teammate Alyssa Healy.

The star all-rounder will now face Pakistan in a limited-overs series at home. Earlier this month, Cricket Australia announced a strong 13-player squad for the ODI segment, which also features the return of regular Australian skipper Meg Lanning.

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