Pakistan’s Sadia Iqbal has made history by becoming the first Pakistani woman to temporarily hold the top position in the ICC T20 player rankings.

The spinner achieved this milestone by surpassing England’s Sophie Ecclestone, who has dominated the rankings since February 2020.

Sadia Iqbal briefly took the lead in the rankings after taking three wickets for just 17 runs in the opening match of the Women’s T20 World Cup against Sri Lanka.

However, by the end of the week, Ecclestone regained her position, leaving Iqbal in second place.

The two bowlers are separated by a mere eight rating points, with Ecclestone currently at 762 and Iqbal at 754.

With the ongoing mega event, there is a possibility that Saadia Iqbal could reclaim the top position once again.

This year has been outstanding for Iqbal, who has taken 28 wickets in 17 matches, making her one of the most formidable bowlers in the T20 format.

Notably, former Pakistan captain Sana Mir is the only other Pakistani woman to have held the top position in the ICC ODI player rankings, achieving this in 2018-19.