Sports are mostly male-dominated games as the society is male-driven and it’s the women who have to make their way into this system; such is the case in cricket. Cricket is the most followed and played sport in India, but all we know is about men’s cricket and no one gives a hoot to women’s cricket. In modern cricket, women are not far behind men and some of them are even better.
But did you know that the first trace of women’s cricket trace back to 1745, and the Women’s Cricket Association was formed in 1926? yet the females in our country or anywhere around the world fail to get the recognition they deserve. The article features the top 10 best female cricketers in the world right now.
10. Sana Mir (Pakistan)
Sana Mir is a former Pakistani cricketer who served as a captain of the Pakistan national women’s cricket team in ODIs and T20Is. She was the first bowler for Pakistan to take 100 wickets in WODIs. She is considered one of the world’s best female cricket players.
She has led Pakistan to two Gold medals in Asian Games 2010 and 2014. She is regarded as one of the best Pakistani bowlers.
9. Shashikala Siriwardene (Sri Lanka)
Shashikala was the former captain of the Sri Lankan women’s cricket team in WODIs. She is the only woman cricketer to take 100 ODI wickets in WODIs for Sri Lanka. Also, the only woman cricketer to take 100+ wickets and score 1000+ runs in WODI for Sri Lanka.
8. Meghann Lanning (Australia)
Lanning took charge of ODI captain of the Australian cricket team in 2014. At the age of 20, she broke the record of the fastest 50 and fastest 100 in an ODI by an Australian female cricketer. She is Australia’s youngest century-maker.
She is one of the best women cricket players in the world who holds the record for the most career centuries in women’s One Day International. Meg has also been awarded many prestigious awards like ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year: 2015, ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year: 2014 Wisden Leading Woman Cricketer in the World: 2015.
7. Mithali Raj (India)
Mithali Raj is the highest run-scorer in women’s international cricket and the only female cricketer to surpass the 6,000 run mark in Women’s One Day International matches. She is the first player to score seven consecutive 50s in ODIs.
She became the first player from India (male or female) to score 2000 runs in T20Is and the first woman cricketer to reach 2002 WT20I runs. She is the role model for many Indian women cricketers and, right now, one of the best female cricketers in the world.
Mithali is the recipient of several national and international awards, including the Wisden Leading Woman Cricketer in the World in 2017, the Arjuna Award in 2003, and the Padma Shri in 2015, both by the Government of India.
6. Stafanie Roxann Taylor (West Indies)
Stafanie hails from Jamaica and is the current captain of the side, and She was the first woman to score 1,000 runs in ODIs for the West Indies. In 2013 Taylor became the 1st player (male & female) to achieve the No.1 ODI ranking in batting and bowling.
A list of her achievements includes ICC Women’s Cricketer of the year 2011. Stafanie also became ICC Women’s ODI and T20 cricketer of the year in 2012 and 2015, respectively.
5. Lisa Carprini Sthalekar (Australia)
Lisa is an Australian cricketer of Indian origin. She is regarded as one of the best all-rounders of the game. She is the first woman to score 1,000 runs and take 100 wickets in ODIs.
Lisa Won the 2013 ODI World Cup with Australia and took retirement from the game.
4. Katherine Helen Brunt (England)
Katherine is regarded as England’s greatest ever women fast bowler. She was named England women’s Cricketer of the Year in 2006 and again in 2010.
Brunt won the 2009 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup with England. She also received the man of the match in the 2009 T20 World Cup Final at Lord’s for her impressive figures of 3/6 in 4 overs.
3. Jhulan Goswami (India)
Jhulan Goswami hails from Bengal and is regarded as one of the best Indian women fast bowlers to grace the jersey. She became the first bowler to take 200 wickets in WODIs.
Goswami also won the ICC Women’s Player of the Year award in 2007 and the M.A. Chidambaram Trophy for Best Women’s Cricketer in 2011. Goswami was ranked first in the ICC Women’s ODI bowling rankings in January 2016. She world’s best female cricketer with amazing bowling skills. A biopic on Goswami is in production, which is being portrayed by Anushka Sharma.
2. Sarah Jane Taylor (England)
Sarah is known for her free-flow stroke play and used to open England’s innings and keep their wickets. She played a huge role in retaining the Ashes in Australia in 2008.
Following the Ashes’ success, Taylor became the youngest female cricketer to score 1000 international runs. She was also honored with the title of T20 international female cricketer of 2013.
1. Ellyse Perry (Australia)
Ellyse Perry is the world’s best female cricketer and hails from Australia. Perry is the youngest Australian to play international cricket and the first to have appeared in both ICC and FIFA World Cups. Yes, you read that right. She debuts for both the national cricket and soccer side at the age of 16.
Perry has also been recognized with numerous individual honors, such as winning the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award twice and the Belinda Clark Award three times while being named one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Decade: 2010–19. Hence she is regarded as the best female cricketer.