Australia’s Tahlia McGrath is averaging 121 and officially the best batter in T20 cricket

Before last October Tahlia McGrath had never played a T20 international and now she’s the best batter in the world.

A little more than 12 months since making her international T20 debut, Australian star Tahlia McGrath has eclipsed every other batter in the world to assume the No.1 ranking in the shortest form of the game.

In just 16 T20s for Australia since making her debut against India last October, McGrath, 27, has surpassed superstar teammate Beth Mooney and absent skipper Meg Lanning to claim top spot.

McGrath’s rise in the rankings comes just days after she smashed an unbeaten 70 in setting Australia’s highest T20 partnership of 158 with Mooney against India in Mumbai, the third 100-run partnership between the pair from just eight innings together.

Tahlia McGrath and Beth Mooney are a formidable combination. Picture: Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images

Her individual record makes for stunning reading, having smashed 485 runs in 10 innings since her debut, with four half-centuries and seven scores more than 40.

Amazingly, the South Australian has only been dismissed four times, giving her an incredible average of 121.

In two matches so far against India, McGrath has unbeaten scores of 40 and 70 and, according to stand-in captain Alyssa Healy, is riding a wave of confidence that makes her hard to stop.

“I think she’s just grown in confidence and confidence goes a long way in this format,” Healy said of McGrath on Tuesday.

“I think it’s an incredibly fickle format, but if you’re walking out there just a little bit more confident than your opposition, it could generally fall your way and I think TMac (McGrath) has just grown as a cricketer, as a leader and as a batter as well.

“I think she’s really confident in her ability and what she can do for our side and I think that’s great.

“It’s a great reward for the last 12 months for her and hopefully she can keep flying for us.”

The confirmation of McGrath’s No.1 ranking came before Australia’s third T20 against India on Thursday morning, with the series level 1-1 after India ended Australia’s unbeaten run in 2022 on Monday.

McGrath, who also captained the Adelaide Strikers to a maiden WBBL title in November, has taken over the No.3 spot in the batting order in the absence of Lanning, who is yet to confirm if or when she will make her return to cricket.

Tahlia McGrath and Strikers coach Luke Williams with the WBBL spoils. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

The absent skipper is one of five Australian batters inside the top 10 T20 rankings, joining McGrath and Mooney (2), Healy (8) and Ashleigh Gardner (10).

McGrath is also ranked 10th on the all-rounder list for T20s, while Healy is the No.1 ODI batter.

Originally published as Australia’s Tahlia McGrath is averaging 121 and officially the best batter in T20 cricket