By Olivia Miller, cricket writer covering women’s international cricket since 2014.
Among all the best female cricket players in the world right now, five names stand out:
- Hayley Matthews
- Smriti Mandhana
- Laura Wolvaardt
- Ellyse Perry
- Deepti Sharma
Each of them sits at or near the top of the ICC Women’s Player Rankings in mid-2026 and can win a match on her own. We have ranked them by current form and all-round impact. Find out who they are, what they do best, and why they lead the game today.
Why Women’s Cricket Is Drawing Record Global Audiences
Women’s cricket has become one of the fastest-growing sports on the planet. Television audiences, stadium crowds, and sponsorship money have all climbed sharply in recent years. Prize pots, broadcast deals, and shirt sponsors have multiplied.
Online gaming operators have joined that sponsorship wave too, marketing to the same international audience that follows the sport and, between matches, heads to play casino games online.
All of that investment raises the standard on the pitch. Bigger crowds and full-time contracts mean the players below are fitter, sharper, and more consistent than any previous generation.
How Are the Best Female Cricketers Ranked?
The primary deciding factor is form, measured by the ICC Women’s Player Rankings. The system rates players across the game’s three international formats and in three roles: batting, bowling, and all-rounder.
Points reward recent results against strong opposition, so the table favors steady output over one big innings. When fans ask who the number one female batter is, this ranking has the answer they are looking for.
Selectors and analysts also weigh match-winning impact, performances in major tournaments, and the rare knack of shaping a game with both bat and ball. That’s why a versatile all-rounder often rates above a pure specialist.
The 5 Best Female Cricket Players Right Now
Here is the shortlist of the 5 best female cricket players in the world right now, ranked by current ICC form, all-round value, and match-winning record.
| Player | Country | Main role | 2026 ranking highlight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hayley Matthews | West Indies | Batting all-rounder | Number one T20I all-rounder |
| Smriti Mandhana | India | Opening batter | Number one ODI batter |
| Laura Wolvaardt | South Africa | Top-order batter | Number two ODI batter |
| Ellyse Perry | Australia | Seam-bowling all-rounder | Top-ten T20I all-rounder |
| Deepti Sharma | India | Spin-bowling all-rounder | Number three T20I all-rounder |
#1. Hayley Matthews: The No.1 Ranked T20I All-Rounder
Hayley Matthews is the most complete short-format all-rounder in the game today, and arguably the best female all-rounder going around. The West Indies captain reclaimed the number one spot in the ICC Women’s T20I all-rounder rankings in 2026 after a strong run of form. She opens the batting and bowls tidy off-spin, so she shapes a match at both ends.
What sets her apart is balance. Few players can win a game with the bat and then squeeze an innings with the ball on the same afternoon. For the West Indies, she is the first name on the team sheet.
#2. Smriti Mandhana: The No.1 Ranked ODI Batter
Smriti Mandhana is the most elegant opening batter in the women’s game, and the numbers back up the eye test. She reclaimed the top spot in the ICC Women’s ODI batting rankings in March 2026 and has passed 7,000 international runs with more than 15 centuries across formats. Her run through India’s home 2025 global championship lifted her rating to a career-high 828 points.
The left-hander scores fast without taking wild risks, which is why India builds their batting around her. On her day, she is the finest fifty-over batter going around.
#3. Laura Wolvaardt: South Africa’s Record-Breaking Captain
Laura Wolvaardt owns the most admired cover drive in the women’s game, and she has the substance to match the style. The South Africa captain sat second in the ICC Women’s ODI batting rankings in early 2026, just behind Mandhana, although she has held the top spot herself in the past. She leads the Proteas by batting long and deep.
One mild limitation is format balance. She is most dominant in one-day cricket and is still building the same authority in the shortest format. Even so, she could reclaim the top ODI ranking at any time.
#4. Ellyse Perry: The Most Complete All-Rounder of Her Era
Ellyse Perry is the benchmark every modern all-rounder is measured against. The Australian veteran was the first cricketer, male or female, to reach 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in T20 internationals, and the first woman to combine 7,000 runs with 300 wickets across international cricket. In her 174 T20 internationals, she has scored 2,297 runs and taken 127 wickets.
A former ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Decade, she still sits inside the top ten T20I all-rounders deep into her thirties. Australia has won almost everything during its career.
#5. Deepti Sharma: India’s Match-Winning All-Rounder
Deepti Sharma is the quiet match-winner who does the jobs that decide tight games. The Indian off-spinner climbed to number three in the ICC Women’s T20I all-rounder rankings in 2026, helped by a stunning spell of 5 wickets for 10 runs against Pakistan. She also rose five places to fifth among T20I bowlers on the back of that form.
Her value is control with the ball and calm, lower-order runs with the bat. She rarely grabs headlines the way big hitters do, yet India leans on her in every format.
Bottom Line: Best Female Cricket Players Right Now?
Essentially, the best female cricket players right now would be decided based on the format you value most: batting, bowling, or all-rounder. Nevertheless, two players have the strongest claim to the title across the board right now: Smriti Mandhana and Hayley Matthews. Mandhana leads the ODI batting rankings, while Matthews tops the all-rounder list and shapes games with both bat and ball.
