Top 15 Best Female Cricketers in the World

Today we discuss, rank, and celebrate the 15 best female cricketers in the world. Read on…

Cricket is not just a gentleman’s game; it’s the lady’s too. For all those years that kept the women under the shed of the game and never let them flourish, it’s over.

The upliftment and authorization of women in cricket have been a revolutionary moment in the sport’s history.

Today, the fans are as much excited about women’s cricket as they are about the men’s game.

This is the result of their patience and perseverance. They have developed the skills for the game like no other.

Today we celebrate and honour 15 such women cricketers who have taken women’s cricket to newer heights.

The 15 Best Female Cricketers in the World

Here’s our pick for the top 15 best female cricketers in the world

S. no	Players	Runs	Wickets
15.	Suzie Bates	7949	125
14.	Harmanpreet Kaur	4913	65
13.	Katherine Brunt	1658	301
12.	Laura Wolvaardt	2899	–
11.	Lisa Sthalekar	3913	229
10.	Natalie Sciver	4134	131
9.	Sarah Taylor	6533	–
8.	Charlotte Edwards	10273	75
7.	Mithali Raj	10454	8
6.	Stephanie Taylor	8050	243
5.	Debbie Hockley	5365	25
4.	Meg Lanning	7167	5
3.	Smriti Mandhana	4673	–
2.	Jhulan Goswamy	1858	340
1.	Ellyse Perry	5081	300

15. Suzie Bates

Kicking off our list of the best female cricketers in the world is Suzie Bates.

Suzannah Wilson “Suzie” Bates is a former New Zealand cricket team captain. She still plays as an allrounder in the team.

Right-handed bowler and batter, Bates has been a crucial player for the national team for a while.

Her skills in every department of the game make her stand apart. She had also represented the national basketball team in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Read More: The Top 10 Most Short Tempered Cricketers of all Time

Bates made her debut against India in 2006 in an ODI game. She currently holds the highest score of 168 in ODI and the highest batting average of 41.1 in ODIs in the New Zealand Cricket team.

Her highest T20I individual score is unbeaten 124. She also has more than 100 wickets as a bowler. In 2013, she was named the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year.

Matches (Tests/Odi/T20i)	-/130/125
Career	2006-
Runs in ODI	4605
Runs in Tests	–
Runs in T20	3344
Total Runs	7949
Average (Tests/Odi/T20i)	-/41.1/29.6
Strike Rate (Tests/Odi/T20i)	-/80.0/110.2

Wickets in ODI	75
Wickets in Tests	–
Wickets in T20	50
Total Wickets	125
Economy (Test/ODI/T20)	-/4.94/6.73
Average (Test/ODI/T20)	-/33.2/25.2

14. Harmanpreet Kaur

Harmanpreet Kaur is a right-handed batter from India. Her bowling skills are also somewhat handy for the team.

She is the current T20I captain of the Indian cricket team. She is also the 2017 Arjuna Awardee for Cricket by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

For someone who idolizes Virender Sehwag, it isn’t that hard to play like him and Harmanpreet is no different.

She made her debut against Pakistan in March 2009 in an ODI. In 2018, she also became the first woman for India to score a century in a Women’s T20 international match.

Read More: Harmanpreet Kaur Net Worth, Salary, Car Collection, House Pics

She also holds the pride to be the first Indian cricketer to play 100 T20Is for India. Her highest score in ODI is 171 not out where she smoked Australian bowlers for real.

Matches (Tests/Odi/T20i)	3/107/120
Career	2009-
Runs in ODI	2568
Runs in Tests	38
Runs in T20	2307
Total Runs	4913
Average (Tests/Odi/T20i)	7.6/34.7/26.5
Strike Rate (Tests/Odi/T20i)	36.5/69.4/-

13. Katherine Brunt

Katherine Helen Brunt is an English right-handed bowler who also can bat whenever the team wants.

She is an effective right-arm medium pacer. She has been a part of the English team that won two World Cups and one T20 World Cup. Her skill has taken the team to new heights.

She made her debut against New Zealand in 2004 in a Test match. A year later she appeared for her first ODI match on 13 March 2005 against South Africa.

Her best Test bowling performance was 6/69 in an innings and her ODI was 5/18. She has also been named the England Women’s cricketer of the Year four times. 

Matches (Test/ODI/T20)	13/130/94
Career	2004-
Wickets in ODI	160
Wickets in Tests	43
Wickets in T20	98
Total Wickets	301
Economy (Test/ODI/T20)	2.50/3.51/5.51
Average (Test/ODI/T20)	23.6/23.2/13.0

Read More: The Top 10 Biggest Fights in IPL History

12. Laura Wolvaardt

If any women cricketer plays the most gorgeous-looking cover drives on Earth then it has to be Laura Wolvaardt, a South African top-order batsman.

She has been a flawless opener for her national team. She was a child prodigy as she got the invitation to play for the national Under 19 team.

She got her ODI debut cap against England in 2016 and played her first T20i match in the same year.

In 2016, Laura became the youngest centurion for South Africa as she hit a match-winning 105 run knock against Ireland.

In 2020, she also became the SA’s Women’s Cricketer of the Year at an annual award ceremony.

She has already made over 2000 runs in ODIs at an average of 44.4 and is seen as a future great in Women’s cricket.

Matches (Tests/Odi/T20i)	-/62/33
Career	2016-
Runs in ODI	2311
Runs in Tests	–
Runs in T20	588
Total Runs	2899
Average (Tests/Odi/T20i)	-/44.4/26.7
Strike Rate (Tests/Odi/T20i)	-/65.1/114.6

11. Lisa Sthalekar 

Lisa Sthalekar was a former Australian captain and right-handed all-rounder who served the Australian women’s cricket team for around twelve years.

She was naturally a hitter with the bat and used to bowl off-spin. She was the first women cricketer to reach the milestone of 1000 runs and 100 wickets in one day of cricket. 

Lisa appeared in her first ODI in 2001 against England. In 2003 she got her Test cap against the same team.

His best with the bat were the knocks of 120 and 104 in Tests and ODIs respectively. Her 6/114 were the best figures in Test matches with the bowl.

Considering her achievements, she was listed in the ICC Hall of Fame in 2020.

Matches (Tests/Odi/T20i)	8/125/54
Career	2001-2013
Runs in ODI	2728
Runs in Tests	416
Runs in T20	769
Total Runs	3913
Average (Tests/Odi/T20i)	32.00/30.65/21.36
Strike Rate (Tests/Odi/T20i)	3.89/-/109.70

Wickets in ODI	146
Wickets in Tests	23
Wickets in T20	60
Total Wickets	229
Economy (Test/ODI/T20)	1.65/3.66/5.82
Average (Test/ODI/T20)	20.95/24.97/19.35

Read More: The Top 15 Best T20 Batsmen of All Time

10. Natalie Sciver

Born in Japan, Natalie Sciver turned out to be an English all-rounder who bats and bowls with her right hand.

Her mother has been a British Diplomat of the United Kingdom to Japan. She comes from a reputed and high-profile family background.

Nonetheless, her skills in the game are somewhat unmatchable.

She debuted against Pakistan in 2013 in an ODI and a year later she got a call up for her first Test match against Australia.

Sciver was the first women cricketer to take a hat-trick in a T20i. Her highest individual score came in an ODI when she made 137 runs.

4/15 is her best T20 stat with the ball for a match. She was a member of the 2017 WC-winning English team. She still has a lot of years ahead of her to shine in the game.

Matches (Tests/Odi/T20i)	6/77/89
Career	2013
Runs in ODI	2176
Runs in Tests	270
Runs in T20	1688
Total Runs	4134
Average (Tests/Odi/T20i)	30.0/38.9/24.8
Strike Rate (Tests/Odi/T20i)	38.2/96.0/112.9

Wickets in ODI	54
Wickets in Tests	5
Wickets in T20	72
Total Wickets	131
Economy (Test/ODI/T20)	2.56/4.32/6.38
Average (Test/ODI/T20)	43.4/27.8/19.5

9. Sarah Taylor

Sarah Jane Taylor is probably the most influencing women cricketer in the World even after she has retired from the game.

She was an English wicket-keeper batter who used to open the batting for the team in limited-overs. She was a glorious free-flowing batsman who served English cricket for more than 14 years.

She made her debut in 2006 in Test and ODI against India. Her best with the bat came in the Women’s World Cup against South Africa where she hit 147 runs off just 104 balls that were decorated with 24 freaking fours that helped them win by 68 runs.

Sarah was one of the greatest wicket keepers in the World who retired in 2019 seeking her anxiety issues. Nevertheless, she is one of the greats in the game.

Matches (Tests/Odi/T20i)	10/126/90
Career	2006-19
Runs in ODI	4056
Runs in Tests	300
Runs in T20	2177
Total Runs	6533
Average (Tests/Odi/T20i)	18.8/38.3/29.0
Strike Rate (Tests/Odi/T20i)	49.6/82.3/110.7

8. Charlotte Edwards 

Charlotte Marie ‘Lotte’ Edwards was a former England Women’s captain who was there for the team for around twenty years.

She was a right-handed batsman who seldom bowled right-arm leg breaks. She was also the youngest cricketer to play for England at the age of 18.

She made her Test debut against New Zealand in 1996 and ODI debut against South Africa in 1997. She grabbed 9 ODI centuries and 4 Test tons in her career.

Her 173 not out off 155 balls against Ireland in the 1997 Women’s World Cup was her best ODI performance of all.

She has second-most runs in ODIs in Women’s cricket as she made close to 6000 runs in the format. She has a test average of more than 44 which shows her consistency throughout her career.

Matches (Tests/Odi/T20i)	23/191/95
Career	1996-2016
Runs in ODI	5992
Runs in Tests	1676
Runs in T20	2605
Total Runs	10273
Average (Tests/Odi/T20i)	44.1/38.2/33.0
Strike Rate (Tests/Odi/T20i)	44.1/-/106.9

7. Mithali Raj

Mithali Raj is an Indian stalwart and an influencing captain of the national women’s cricket team.

She bats with her right hand in the middle order in all formats. A cool head and situational awareness make her a perfect fit for her current job in the Indian team and she has done it with grace for a while now.

She made her ODI debut in 1999 against Ireland with a hundred and Test debut in 2002 against England.

She holds the record of youngest player to hit a double century in Test matches. She hit 214 which is also the highest by an Indian women cricketer.

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She has captained India in 143 ODIs which is the most by any women cricketer. She is in the dusk of her career but still contributes like she used to do in earlier days.

Matches (Tests/Odi/T20i)	12/220/89
Career	1999-
Runs in ODI	7391
Runs in Tests	699
Runs in T20	2364
Total Runs	10454
Average (Tests/Odi/T20i)	43.7/51.3/37.5
Strike Rate (Tests/Odi/T20i)	44.8/-/-

6. Stafanie Taylor

Stafanie Roxann Taylor is a West Indian rounder and captain. She is a right-handed batter and an off-break spinner.

In 2011, she received the ICC women’s cricketer of the year award and became the first West Indies woman to get the honour.

She made her ODI and Test debut against Ireland in the same year 2008. She was also the first woman from the West Indies to reach the milestone of 1000 ODI runs.

Her 171 runs knock against Sri Lanka in the 2013 WC was the best knock of her career. She is very close to 5000 runs in ODIs. She has also taken 145 ODI wickets in 130 matches. She is going to be great in world cricket for sure.

Matches (Tests/Odi/T20i)	-/130/111
Career	2008-
Runs in ODI	4929
Runs in Tests	–
Runs in T20	3121
Total Runs	8050
Average (Tests/Odi/T20i)	-/44.8/35.5
Strike Rate (Tests/Odi/T20i)	-/69.4/-

Wickets in ODI	145
Wickets in Tests	–
Wickets in T20	98
Total Wickets	243
Economy (Test/ODI/T20)	-/3.43/5.66
Average (Test/ODI/T20)	-/21.5/16.7

5. Debbie Hockley

She is a New Zealand veteran who represented the national team as a right-handed batter. She is one of the oldest women cricketers in the World who made her name the greatest of all time.

She made her Test debut in 1979 against Australia and ODI debut in 1982 against England. She played 19 Test matches with 4 tons and an overall Test average of 52.04.

Her ODI career was also an impressive one as she made 4 centuries in this format too at an average of more than 40. She also has 2 World Cup centuries. She served cricket for more than 20 years of her career. 

Matches (Tests/Odi/T20i)	19/118/-
Career	1979-2000
Runs in ODI	4064
Runs in Tests	1301
Runs in T20	–
Total Runs	5365
Average (Tests/Odi/T20i)	52.04/41.89/-
Strike Rate (Tests/Odi/T20i)	-/-/-

4. Meg Lanning

Meg Lanning is a right-handed Australian batter who also captains the national women’s cricket team.

Manning is a talented cricketer as well as a significant leader. She has been a part of an Aussie team that won World titles and four T20 World Cups. She led her team in the 2014 Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh.

Read More: The 10 Best Spinners of All Time in Cricket

She made her debut in ODI and Tests in 2011 and 2013 respectively against England. Her ODI best is 152 and her T20I best is 133.

She also has the most number of hundreds in the women’s international circuit with 14 tons. She is close to 4000 runs in ODIs at an outstanding average of 53.1. She is in for a long career in the Australian women’s cricket team.

Matches (Tests/Odi/T20i)	5/88/113
Career	2010-
Runs in ODI	3984
Runs in Tests	240
Runs in T20	2943
Total Runs	7167
Average (Tests/Odi/T20i)	26.7/53.1/35.5
Strike Rate (Tests/Odi/T20i)	41.5/93.2/115.2

3. Smriti Mandhana 

Smriti Mandhana is the most elegant left-handed opening batter who opens for the Indian Women’s cricket team in all formats.

Her strokeplay is out of this world. It is hard to look away when she is in her full flow of the willow.

She made her ODI debut in 2013 against Bangladesh and Test debut in 2014 against England. In 2018, ICC awarded her with the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Award for the best female cricketer of the year.

Read More: Smriti Mandhana Net Worth, House Photos, Age, Height, Husband Name, Biography

She was also bestowed the ODI Player of the Year by the ICC for the same year. She is currently the best and most consistent performer on the Indian women’s cricket team. For the years to come, she would be one of the highest-ranked women cricketers for sure.

Matches (Tests/Odi/T20i)	4/62/84
Career	2013-
Runs in ODI	2377
Runs in Tests	325
Runs in T20	1971
Total Runs	4673
Average (Tests/Odi/T20i)	46.4/41.7/25.9
Strike Rate (Tests/Odi/T20i)	52.6/84.7/120.8

2. Jhulan Goswami

Jhulan Goswami is the Indian fast bowling stalwart who single-handedly roped the fast bowling unit for around 20 years now.

She is by far the best pacer this world has ever seen in women’s cricket. It would not be wrong to say that she revolutionized Indian cricket with her great bowling.

She made her debut against England in 2002 in both ODIs and Test cricket. At the age of 23, she became the youngest player to take 10 wickets in a Test match.

Moreover, she has bowled the most number of deliveries in her ODI career. She is the highest wicket-taker in ODIs with 240 wickets. Her 6/31 in ODIs remains the best figure by a captain in an innings.

Matches (Test/ODI/T20)	12/192/68
Career	2002-
Wickets in ODI	240
Wickets in Tests	44
Wickets in T20	56
Total Wickets	340
Economy (Test/ODI/T20)	2.02/3.31/5.45
Average (Test/ODI/T20)	17.4/21.6/21.9

1. Ellyse Perry

The number one pick for pur list of the best female cricketers in the world is Ellyse Perry.

Ellyse is a God-gifted all-rounder who is currently ruling the women’s cricketing world with her outstandingly consistent performances in every format.

She is a right-handed Australian batter and bowler. She has also represented the national football team in FIFA world cups that shows the versatility of her talent and skills.

She made her ODI debut in 2007 against New Zealand and Test debut in 2008 against England. Her Test batting average of 86.6 is unbelievable.

The only cricketer in the world who had a better Test average was Sir Don Bradman. She has surely transcended the gender gap in this category.

She is the most dynamic cricketer all over the world. She has already become a modern-day great and still has a long way to go.

Matches (Tests/Odi/T20i)	9/118/126
Career	2007-
Runs in ODI	3135
Runs in Tests	693
Runs in T20	1253
Total Runs	5081
Average (Tests/Odi/T20i)	86.6/50.6/27.8
Strike Rate (Tests/Odi/T20i)	43.3/76.7/105.5

Wickets in ODI	152
Wickets in Tests	33
Wickets in T20	115
Total Wickets	300
Economy (Test/ODI/T20)	2.27/4.39/5.87
Average (Test/ODI/T20)	19.8/25.2/19.4

Read More:

• Shafali Verma Net Worth 2021
• Mithali Raj Net Worth
• Top 10 Cricketers in the World of all Time
• The Top 10 Most Successful Cricket Captains of all Time!
• 10 Best Fast Bowlers of All Time
• The 10 Best Bowlers of All Time
• The 10 Best Batsmen of All Time

Conclusion

So these were our picks for the best female cricketers in the world of all time. Honestly analyzing, there hasn’t been any shortage of talent or greatness in women’s cricket.

As exposure is increasing, we are sure that a lot of good players pool is going to flow through the game. They are collectively taking this game forward.

Did we miss out on your favorite women cricketer? Which female cricketer would you add to our list of the best female cricketers in the world? Do let us know by tweeting us @weknowcricket!