India’s charismatic opener Smriti Mandhana, was on Monday, named ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year for her phenomenal performance that saw the left-hander score tons of runs in 2024. India’s vice-captain, who was the cricketer of the ICC of the year. In 2018 and 2022, he amassed 747 runs in 13 innings to set new professional standards in ODIs. He fielded several batting stalwarts, including the likes of South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt, Tammy Beaumont (554) and West Indies’ Hayley Matthews, to Shade.
Her tally was the highest among leading women’s ODI run-getters last year, well ahead of Wolvaardt (697), Beaumont (554) and Matthews (469).
She scored four ODI centuries, a record in the women’s game, and found the boundary more than a hundred times in the year, hitting 95 fours and maximum sixes.
The 28-year-old cricketer’s runs came at an average of 57.86 and an impressive strike rate of 95.15.
Some of his best innings came against high-calibre opposition, including his back-to-back centuries that led India to a 3-0 series victory against South Africa in June.
Mandhana also smashed a ton in the series decider against New Zealand in October. He then showed his ability to dominate the world’s best bowling with another defiant century in Perth against Australia in a losing cause in December.
Although Mandhana’s excellent 105 at the WACA in Perth came in a losing cause, it was his effort that took the defending world champions closer to the target.
Even as India struggled to score runs and wickets fell at the other end, Mandhana held firm on a dry wicket unleashing his variety of strokes, hitting 14 fours and a six in his impressive century, which came off 109 balls.
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