Dubai [UAE], May 2 (ANI): The players of Australia and New Zealand rose in the ICC Women's T20I team rankings following the annual update made by the ICC on Friday.

The Aussies maintained their stronghold on the No.1 ranking with 299 rating points and even extended their lead over second-placed England (279) from 18 points to 20 after the update.

While there are no positional changes among the top-eight ranks, reigning ICC Women's T20 World Cup winners New Zealand were rewarded with a two-point increase to 253 rating points and are now within seven points of third-placed India (260).

South Africa (243), West Indies (240), Sri Lanka (228), and Pakistan (220) round out the top eight teams on the rankings. Ireland moved up one place and past Bangladesh into ninth following the update that provides weightings at 50 per cent for matches between May 2022 and April 2024 and 100 per cent for matches thereafter.

Asian side Thailand climbed two places to move to 11th overall, while Sierra Leone (34th) and Kuwait (37th) were other big improvers as they gained seven rating points and moved up three spots overall apiece.

Four teams--Mexico, Czechia, Oman, and Ghana--drop out of the rankings because they have not played at least eight T20Is since May 2022.

Meanwhile, the UAE has replaced the USA among the 16 teams granted ODI status for the 2025-29 cycle, which will come into effect on May 12.

The list of teams with ODI status now features five Associate Members. Thailand, Scotland, Papua New Guinea, and the Netherlands retain their status, and the UAE joins them following strong performances in T20Is.

Thailand and Scotland secured their ODI status through qualification for the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2025, while PNG and the Netherlands retained theirs based on their T20I rankings.

The UAE earned ODI status as the next highest-ranked Associate Member during the annual ICC Women's T20I Team Rankings update. Teams with ODI status must play at least eight ODIs over a three-to-four-year period to achieve or maintain a ranking. (ANI)