WODI Rankings: Mandhana maintains top spot, Deepti moves up to 3rd place in bowlers' list
Dubai (PTI): Indian vice-captain Smriti Mandhana remained on top in the Women's ODI Batter Rankings, extending her lead over England skipper Nat-Sciver Brunt by 83 points in the latest list published by the ICC on Tuesday.
In the bowling section, Indian off-spinner Deepti Sharma has moved up to the third place with left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone from England leading the charts.
Mandhana has scored consecutive half-centuries in the ongoing World Cup, with her most recent effort coming against England when she contributed a stylish innings of 88 during a narrow loss for India in Indore.
Mandhana has hit a purple patch of late, with the left-hander having been adjudged the ICC Women's Player of the Month for September 2025 for her exploits in the ODI series against Australia that preceded the World Cup.
Australia skipper Alyssa Healy gained one place to improve to third overall following consecutive centuries at the World Cup, with in-form South African Tazmin Brits (up one spot to ninth) also making ground inside the top 10 on the back of her own efforts with the bat.
There was also some movement outside the top 10, with India captain Harmanpreet Kaur (up three places to 15th), Australia opener Phoebe Litchfield (up five spots to 17th) and England veteran Heather Knight (up 15 rungs to 18th) all rewarded for their strong form with the bat at the World Cup.
Among bowlers, Deepti made some good ground as she rose three spots to become third overall following 13 wickets so far from five matches in the World Cup.
Australia spinner Alana King improved two places to seventh overall, while a trio of Pakistan players Nashra Sundhu (up three spots to 11th), Sadia Iqbal (up five rungs to equal 14th) and Fatima Sana (up five places to 24th) have also been rewarded for their impressive performances.
Fatima also made ground on the list for ODI all-rounders headed by Australia's Ash Gardner as she improved five places to 15th, while Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu gained one place to jump to seventh.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
'Someone must be held accountable': HC converts civil suit on Goa nightclub tragedy into PIL
Panaji (PTI): The Bombay High Court on Monday converted a civil suit against Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub into a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) saying "someone has to be held accountable" for the tragedy in which 25 people were killed.In a stern observation, Goa bench of the High Court of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ashish Chavan said the local panchayat had "failed to take suo motu cognisance" of the club and had taken "no action despite complaints."
The division bench directed the Goa government to file a detailed reply on the permissions granted to the nightclub.
The High Court, while fixing January 8 as the next date of hearing, pointed out that commercial operations were continuing in the structure despite it having been served a demolition order.
The original petition was filed after the December 6 tragedy by Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar and Sunil Divkar, the owners of the land on which the nightclub was operating.
ALSO READ: Veteran Congress leader Shamanuru Shivashankarappa laid to rest with full state honours
Advocate Rohit Bras de Sa, the lawyer representing the petitioner, was made amicus curiae in the matter and has been asked to file a detailed affidavit in the matter.
In their petition, Amonkar and Divkar highlighted "the alarming pattern of statutory violations that have remained inadequately addressed despite multiple complaints, inspections, show-cause notices, and even a demolition order".
They contended that these violations posed "immediate threats to public safety, ecological integrity, and the rule of law in the state of Goa."
Investigations by multiple agencies into the nightclub fire have revealed various irregularities, including lack of permissions to operate the nightclub.
The Goa police arrested five managers and staff members of the club, while co-owners Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra have been detained in Thailand after they fled the country.
