Best Women Cricketers in the World 2024: The women’s cricket world is full of amazing players who wow the crowd with their talent and skill. From powerful hitters to fantastic bowlers, these athletes are changing the game and inspiring others. In 2024, there are so many incredible women playing cricket, each one making a mark and entertaining fans with their great performances.
Best Women Cricketers in the World 2024
Let’s take a closer look at some of the top female cricketers this year, celebrating their skills and what they bring to the sport.
20. Tahlia McGrath
- Born: 10 November 1995
- Nickname: T-Mac
- Batting: Right-handed
- Bowling: Right-arm medium
- Role: All-rounder
Tahlia McGrath is a skilled cricketer from Australia who faced setbacks but bounced back stronger. She made her mark in international cricket during The Women’s Ashes series in 2017 and has since been a key player for her team.
McGrath’s notable performances include her impressive bowling against India and her historic achievements in matches against England, where she excelled with both bat and ball, earning her recognition as the Player of the Series.
In addition to representing Australia in various series and tournaments, McGrath has played for teams like the Adelaide Strikers and the Southern Brave. Despite testing positive for COVID-19 during the Commonwealth Games in 2022, McGrath was allowed to compete, showcasing her dedication and resilience on the field. She continues to be a standout player in women’s cricket, earning praise for her talent and contributions to the sport.
19. Sophie Devine
- Born: 1 September 1989
- Batting: Right-handed
- Bowling: Right-arm medium
- Role: All-rounder
Sophie Devine, ranked 19th among the Best Women Cricketers in the World, is known for her dual sporting talents in cricket and field hockey. Opting for cricket over hockey, she gained recognition for her decision not to wear a helmet while batting.
Her cricket career highlights include being named in the ICC Women’s T20I Team of the Year in 2017 and receiving a central contract from New Zealand Cricket in 2018.
She starred in the 2018 ICC Women’s World Twenty20 tournament and later took on the role of captain for the New Zealand women’s cricket team in 2020. Demonstrating her commitment, Devine played her 100th WT20I match in September 2021, solidifying her place as a key player in international cricket.
18. Nida Dar
- Born: 2 January 1987
- Nickname: Lady Boom Boom
- Batting: Right-handed
- Bowling: Right-arm off-break
- Role: All-rounder
Sophie Devine, ranked 18th among the Best Women Cricketers in the World, is a right-handed batter and right-arm off-break bowler. Notably, she currently serves as the captain of the Pakistan women’s national cricket team, a position she has held since April 2023.
Renowned as an all-rounder, Devine holds the record for being the most successful women’s T20I bowler. She achieved the milestone of being the first Pakistani cricketer to take 100 wickets in T20Is, showcasing her exceptional skill and talent.
Devine has represented various teams in domestic cricket, including Pakistan Universities, Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited, Sialkot, and the Sydney Thunder. Her prowess both with bat and ball makes her a valuable asset to her team and a standout player in the world of women’s cricket.
17. Hayley Matthews
- Born: 19 March 1998
- Batting: Right-handed
- Bowling: Right-arm off-break
- Role: All-rounder
Ranked 17th among the Best Women Cricketers is Hayley Matthews. He is a versatile player representing the West Indies.
Matthews plays for teams like Barbados and Melbourne Renegades in domestic cricket. Besides cricket, she competes in javelin throw internationally for Barbados.
In June 2022, Matthews took over as captain of the West Indies women’s cricket team from Stafanie Taylor.
16. Deepti Sharma
- Born: 24 August 1997
- Nickname: Deepu
- Batting: Left-handed
- Bowling: Right-arm off-break
- Role: All-rounder
Deepti Sharma holds the 16th position among the Best Women Cricketers globally. Representing Bengal, Birmingham Phoenix, and India, she excels as an all-rounder, batting left-handed and bowling right-arm off-break.
Deepti currently ranks 3rd among all-rounders in the ICC Cricket Rankings and holds the record for the third-highest individual score by a woman cricketer in ODIs, with 188 runs.
15. Heather Knight
- Born: 26 December 1990
- Nickname: Trev
- Batting: Right-handed
- Bowling: Right-arm off-break
- Role: Batter
Ranked 15th among the Best Women Cricketers is Heather Knight. He is a prominent figure in the sport. Playing as a right-handed batter and right-arm off-spin bowler, she has made significant contributions to England’s cricket team.
Knight reached a milestone in December 2019 when she played her 100th Women’s One Day International match for England. Notably, she assumed the captaincy of the England women’s cricket team in June 2016, succeeding Charlotte Edwards.
Knight has done some amazing things in cricket. She was the first female player to score fifty runs and take five wickets in one ODI game. Also, she’s the first woman and first England player to score a hundred runs in international matches across all three formats of the game.
14. Megan Schutt
- Born: 15 January 1993
- Nickname: Shooter
- Height: 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
- Batting: Right-handed
- Bowling: Right-arm fast-medium
- Role: Bowler
Ranked 14th among the Best Women Cricketers is Megan Schutt. nicknamed “Shooter,” is a standout player known for her bowling prowess. Representing the South Australian Scorpions since 2009 and the Adelaide Strikers since 2015, Schutt made history as the first cricketer to take a hat-trick for Australia in a Women’s Twenty20 International (WT20I) match.
In her personal life, she openly identifies as a lesbian and married her long-term partner, Jess Holyoake, in 2019. Schutt has been an advocate for same-sex marriage in Australia and celebrated the news of Holyoake’s pregnancy in May 2021, marking an exciting new chapter in their lives.
13. Suzie Bates
- Born: 16 September 1987
- Batting: Right-handed
- Bowling: Right-arm medium
Ranked 13th among the Best Women Cricketers is Suzie Bates. He is a renowned player from Dunedin, New Zealand. She represents the Otago Sparks in domestic cricket and the White Ferns at the international level.
Bates holds impressive records in New Zealand Women’s Twenty20 cricket, boasting the highest score and batting average. Her talent has been recognized with prestigious awards, including the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year in 2013 and both the ICC Women’s ODI and T20I Cricketer of the Year in 2016.
Bates’ exceptional skills and achievements have solidified her position as one of the top cricketers in the world.
12. Sophie Ecclestone
- Born: 6 May 1999
- Batting: Right-handed
- Bowling: Slow left-arm orthodox
- Role: Bowler
Sophie Ecclestone is a talented cricketer who ranks 12th among the best women cricketers globally. She plays for Lancashire, North West Thunder, Manchester Originals, UP Warriorz, and England.
Back in December 2018, the International Cricket Council (ICC) recognized her as the Emerging Player of the Year. Later, in March 2020, after the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, she became the number one bowler in Women’s Twenty20 International (WT20I) cricket worldwide.
She was named the ICC Women’s Player of the Month for her outstanding performance in June 2021.
11. Laura Wolvaardt
- Born: 26 April 1999
- Batting: Right-handed
- Role: Batter
Laura Wolvaardt is a top women cricketer, ranked 11th globally. She plays for Western Province, Adelaide Strikers, Gujarat Giants, Manchester Originals, and South Africa. She’s known for batting right-handed as an opener.
She debuted in Test cricket for South Africa against England in June 2022 and was also selected for the 2022 Commonwealth Games cricket tournament.
10. Alyssa Healy
- Born: 24 March 1990
- Nickname: Midge
- Batting: Right-handed
- Role: Wicket-keeper-batter
Alyssa Healy is one of the top women cricketers worldwide, ranked 10th in our Ranking. She plays for New South Wales and Sydney Sixers in domestic cricket, and she captains the UP Warriors in India’s Women’s Premier League.
Healy is known as a right-handed batter and wicket-keeper, following in the footsteps of her cricketing family.
Her career highlights include winning the ICC T20I Player of the Year in 2018 and setting records like the highest individual score in a Women’s T20I match with 148 not out.
Healy was instrumental in Australia’s victory in the 2020 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, finishing as the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament and setting a new record for the most dismissals as a wicket-keeper in Twenty20 International cricket with 92 dismissals.
9. Chamari Athapaththu
- Born: 9 February 1990
- Batting: Left-handed
- Bowling: Right-arm off-break
- Role: Batter
Chamari Athapaththu holds the 9th position among the top women cricketers. She serves as the current captain of Sri Lanka’s women’s Twenty20 International team and was the tenth captain of Sri Lanka’s women’s national cricket team.
In November 2017, she earned the prestigious title of Women’s Cricketer of the Year for the 2016–17 season at Sri Lanka Cricket’s annual awards. Remarkably, Athapaththu is the first Sri Lankan woman to play in franchise cricket.
Her contributions to the sport were further recognized in November 2023 when it was announced that a special seating zone at the Sydney Cricket Ground would be named after her as the Chamari Bay.
8. Smriti Mandhana
- Born: 18 July 1996
- Batting: Left-handed
- Bowling: Right-arm off-break
- Role: Opening batter
Smriti Mandhana, ranked 8th among the top women cricketers, plays for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Women’s Premier League and represents Maharashtra in domestic cricket.
She has received numerous accolades for her stellar performances, including being named ‘the Best Women’s International Cricketer’ by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in June 2018. The International Cricket Council (ICC) recognized her as the best female cricketer of the year in December 2018, awarding her the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Award.
Mandhana’s achievements also include nominations for the ICC Women’s T20 Player of the Year and the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year, ultimately winning the latter in January 2022.
7. Beth Mooney
- Born: 14 January 1994
- Batting: Left-handed
- Role: Wicket-keeper-batter
Beth Mooney holds the 7th position among the top women cricketers worldwide. She plays as a batter for the national cricket team across all three formats of the game. At the domestic level, Mooney serves as a wicket-keeper-batter for Western Australia and Perth Scorchers.
Her remarkable performance led her to become the world’s number-one batter in Women’s Twenty20 International (WT20I) cricket after the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 in March 2020.
6. Harmanpreet Kaur
- Born: 8 March 1989
- Nickname: Harman
- Batting: Right-handed
- Bowling: Right-arm off-break
- Role: All-rounder
Harmanpreet Kaur holds the 6th position among the top women cricketers. She leads the India women’s national cricket team as captain in all formats and captains Mumbai Indians in the Women’s Premier League.
Kaur is a talented all-rounder for the Indian women’s cricket team. She got the Arjuna Award for Cricket in 2017 from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. In November 2018, she made history by being the first woman from India to score a century in a Women’s Twenty20 International (WT20I) match.
Kaur also holds the distinction of being the only Indian woman cricketer with over 3,000 runs in T20Is and one of just three Indian women to surpass 3,000 runs in Women’s One Day Internationals (WODI).
Additionally, in October 2019, she achieved another milestone by becoming the first cricketer from India, male or female, to play in 100 international Twenty20 matches.
5. Amelia Kerr
- Born: 13 October 2000
- Nickname: Melie, Melos, Melux
- Batting: Right-handed
- Bowling: Right-arm leg break
- Role: All-rounder
Amelia Kerr, ranked 5th among the best women cricketers, plays for Wellington and New Zealand. In a remarkable achievement on June 13, 2018, she scored the highest individual score in a Women’s One Day International (WODI) match, notching an unbeaten 232 runs against Ireland. This feat made her the youngest cricketer, male or female, to achieve a double century in One Day International cricket.
Kerr’s double century also stands as the third-highest individual score in an ODI, the second-highest by a New Zealander, and the highest in a Women’s ODI. In the same match, she also impressed with her bowling, taking 5 wickets for 17 runs, marking her first five-wicket haul in WODIs.
4. Marizanne Kapp
- Born: 4 January 1990
- Batting: Right-handed
- Bowling: Right-arm medium
- Role: All-rounder
Marizanne Kapp is ranked 4th among the top women cricketers. She made history as the first cricketer from South Africa to take a hat-trick in a Women’s Twenty20 International match.
In July 2018, she married her teammate and captain of the South African Women’s cricket team, Dane van Niekerk.
3. Ashleigh Gardner
- Born: 15 April 1997
- Batting: Right-handed
- Bowling: Right-arm off-spin
- Role: All-rounder
Ashleigh Gardner holds the 3rd position among the top women cricketers. She plays as an all-rounder for the national women’s team, being a right-handed batter and right-arm off-spinner.
Gardner plays cricket for New South Wales in one league and for the Sydney Sixers in another league. She also plays for the Gujarat Giants in an Indian league.
Throughout her career, she has secured three world championships and four national titles with her teams, along with earning several individual honors, including the prestigious Belinda Clark Award.
2. Nat Sciver-Brunt
- Born: 20 August 1992
- Batting: Right-handed
- Bowling: Right-arm medium
- Role: All-rounder
Nat Sciver holds the 2nd position among the top women cricketers and represents England in all formats of the game. She made history as the first cricketer from England to take a hat-trick in a Women’s Twenty20 International match.
Sciver became known for her unique “Natmeg” shot, which is named after her. This shot caught people’s attention when she hit a cricket ball through her legs during a game.
She also served as England’s captain in international cricket, leading the team in the absence of Heather Knight due to injury and later withdrawing from a series against India to prioritize her mental health and well-being.
1. Ellyse Perry
- Born: 3 November 1990
- Nickname: Pez
- Batting: Right-handed
- Bowling: Right-arm fast-medium
- Role: All-rounder
Ellyse Perry is widely regarded as the best women cricketer in the world in 2024. Remarkably, she debuted for both the national cricket and soccer teams at just 16 years old, making her the youngest Australian to play international cricket and the first to feature in both the ICC and FIFA World Cups. While initially pursuing both sports, Perry transitioned to becoming a full-time cricket professional in 2014, a decision that has seen her cricket career soar to new heights.
Known for her exceptional all-round abilities, Perry has achieved numerous milestones, including being the first player to accumulate 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in T20Is.
She has set some impressive records in cricket, like having the highest score ever by an Australian woman in Test matches, with 213 not out. Additionally, she’s the third player in women’s One Day Internationals (ODIs) to take 150 wickets.
Perry’s dominance extends to her contributions to successful teams at international and domestic levels, winning multiple world championships and numerous titles with teams like Australia, New South Wales, and the Sydney Sixers.
Beyond her on-field excellence, Perry’s influence transcends sport, as she is hailed as a role model and a leading figure in promoting female participation in Australian sports culture. She also ranked 1st among the Most Beautiful Women Cricketers In Australia 2024.
