Smriti Mandhana jumps two places to world no. 4 in ICC Women's ODI batting rankings
Dubai, Feb 13: India opener Smriti Mandhana has jumped two spots to grab the fourth position in the latest ICC Women's ODI Player Rankings for batters.
The 27-year-old from Mumbai surpassed South Africa's Laura Wolvaardt, who slumped to fifth place after a lacklustre show in the ODI series against Australia.England's Nat Sciver Brunt, Sri Lanka's Chamari Athapaththu and Australia's Beth Mooney occupy the top 3 positions in the batting chart, which also has India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur static at the 10th place.
Mandhana, who is set to represent the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Women's Premier League, last played ODIs in the bilateral series against Australia. She had made 63 runs at an average of 31.50.
In the bowling chart, which is headed by England's Sophie Ecclestone, spinner Deepti Sharma slipped a place to number four. The Indian, however, moved a place to the fifth spot in ODI allrounder list.
Among bowlers, South Africa's Marizanne Kapp has climbed seven places to take the second position after grabbing four wickets in the last two ODIs against Australia.
An all-round performance of 75 and 3/12 in the second match in North Sydney that helped South Africa register their first ever ODI victory over Australia also helped Kapp retain eighth position in batting and consolidate her top ranking in the list of all-rounders.
Kapp increased her points tally from 658 to 668 in the batting rankings and from 388 to 452 in the all-rounders' rankings.
Chloe-Tryon is another South Africa all-rounder to gain in the latest weekly rankings update, moving up one place to 20th among batters.
She advanced seven places to 43rd among bowlers and reached the top 10 for all-rounders for the first time.
Anneke Bosche (up 13 places to 68th among batters) and Masabata Klaas (up two places to 24th among bowlers) have also gained.
Australia too had several players moving up in the rankings after completing a 2-1 win with all-rounder Tahlia McGrath progressing four places to 30th among batters.
Tahila was named Player of the Match in the final ODI after smashing 44 off 35 balls and claiming 3/23. She also rose five places to 60th among bowlers and to 21st in the list of all-rounders.
Alana King (77th in batting and 13th in bowling) and Kim Garth (96th in batting and 28th in bowling) have also made notable progress.
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Azim Premji Foundation Scholarship: How to apply, when to apply; details here
Bengaluru: The Azim Premji Foundation has announced the Azim Premji Scholarship for the academic year 2025–26, aimed at supporting up to 2.5 lakh girls across 18 Indian states who are pursuing higher education after completing school. An official release from the foundation also stated that in the coming years the scholarship will be implemented across the country.
When to Apply:
According to a release from the foundation, the application process for the Azim Premji Scholarship 2025–26 will commence in September 2025. “Details of the program and any changes in the program design or coverage will be notified at the start of the application process,” the release added.
Where to Apply:
According to the release, the scholarship this year will be implemented across 18 states, namely Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. Students residing in these states and enrolled in recognised higher education institutions will be eligible to apply.
How to Apply:
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Girls who have completed their Class 10 and 12 education in government (public) schools and have secured admission in a bona fide higher education institution either a government-run college/university or select private institutions can apply for the scholarship.
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Once the application portal opens in September, students will be required to submit personal details, educational qualifications, proof of admission, and bank account information.
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The scholarship amount ₹30,000 per year will be transferred directly into the students' bank accounts in two instalments each academic year, read the release.
