Which Indian player became World Number 1 in womens One Day International batting rankings?

Introduction / Context:
This question focuses on ICC womens One Day International batting rankings. Several Indian players have performed exceptionally in limited overs cricket. The question asks which player climbed to the top of the ODI batting rankings, a significant personal and national achievement in the sport.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The ranking referred to is the ICC womens ODI batting list.
• The task is to identify the player who reached the top position.
• Options include Mithali Raj, M M Lanning, E A Perry and Smriti Mandhana.
• We assume exam context refers to the current affairs period where Smriti Mandhana reached number 1 among batters.

Concept / Approach:
Mithali Raj has long been a leading ODI run scorer and has also held high rankings, but recent current affairs for many exams highlighted Smriti Mandhana rise to the top of the ICC womens ODI batting rankings. Meg Lanning and Ellyse Perry are Australian stars and appear as distractors. Therefore the approach is to connect this specific headline with the correct Indian player.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall which Indian womens batter was in the news for becoming ICC womens ODI batting number 1.Step 2: Smriti Mandhana consistent performances in one day cricket pushed her to the top of the batting rankings in that period.Step 3: Mithali Raj is a legendary batter but at the time highlighted in many exam questions, Smriti was the player mentioned as new number 1.Step 4: M M Lanning and E A Perry are Australian players, not Indian, so they cannot satisfy the condition of being an Indian player.Step 5: Therefore, Smriti Mandhana is the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Candidates can verify this by remembering news articles that described Smriti Mandhana as the top ranked ODI batter, often mentioning her stylish left handed play and consistent scores. Those reports contrasted her rise with Mithali Raj long term contribution and highlighted a new generation of Indian womens cricket. No such report described Lanning or Perry as Indian players, which further confirms the answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A, Mithali Raj, though a top performer, was not the player newly singled out in the particular current affairs context referenced by the question. Option B, M M Lanning, and option C, E A Perry, are both Australian cricket stars and therefore do not satisfy the condition of being an Indian player. They also serve as examples of non Indian players who have been top ranked in various formats but are not correct here.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to choose Mithali Raj by default because she is associated with many records and is often called the queen of Indian womens cricket. Another pitfall is ignoring the word Indian and focusing only on who is world number 1 in general, which may lead some to select an Australian name. Learners should pay close attention to nationality and to the time frame of current affairs when answering such ranking related questions.

Final Answer:
The Indian player who became World Number 1 in womens ODI batting rankings is Smriti Mandhana.