Dubai, May 5 : Australia has strengthened its hold at the summit of the ICC Womenâ??s T20I Team Rankings following the latest annual update, extending its advantage and reaffirming its status as the team to beat ahead of the ICC Womenâ??s T20 World Cup 2026.

The updated rankings, which assign full weightage (100 per cent) to matches played since May 2025 and 50 per cent to results from the preceding two years, see Australia remain at No. 1 with 287 rating points. They now enjoy a 12-point lead over the second-placed England women's cricket team, while India remains firmly in third position with 264 points.

The top 16 teams in the rankings remain unchanged, underlining the consistency among the leading sides in womenâ??s T20I cricket. Reigning T20 World Cup champions New Zealand occupy fourth place with 253 points, while South Africa round off the top five with 243 points.

The mid-table remains tightly contested, with the West Indies (238) and Sri Lanka (237) placed sixth and seventh respectively, separated by just a single point. Pakistan holds on to eighth position with 216 points, while Ireland (200) and Bangladesh (199) complete the top 10, once again divided by the narrowest of margins.

Among the notable movers, the United States has climbed two places to 20th after reaching a rating of 98, continuing its steady rise in international cricket. Germany also enjoyed a significant boost, gaining 10 rating points to move up six places and break into the top 30 at 29th.

A total of 78 teams feature in the latest rankings, all having played at least eight T20Is over the past three years. Cambodia has dropped out of the list and will need to play additional matches to regain its ranking status, while Peru is no longer ranked after a prolonged absence from international fixtures.

Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the upcoming ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled to be held in England and Wales from June 12 to July 5. The tournament will feature 12 teams, marking an expansion from previous editions.

Alongside host England, the qualified teams include Australia, Bangladesh, India, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies, Ireland, and Scotland, setting the stage for a highly competitive global event.

/IANS