Smriti Mandhana, India opener in women’s cricket, has been crowned ICC Women’s Cricketer of the year in 2024.She was also named ICC Women’s Cricketer of the year in 2018 and 2022 as well.She was named ICC Women’s ODI cricketer of the year for her outstanding performance in year 2024.
She put many batting toughs, including the likes of South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt, West Indies’s Hayley Matthews and England’s Tammy Beaumont, to shade. Her total of 747 runs in 13 innings is the highest among the leading run-getters in Women’s ODIs last year, way ahead of Wolvaardt (697), Beaumont (554) and Matthews (469).
The elegant left-handed opener excelled in the 50-over format, scoring runs with exceptional regularity and style, bounding her status as one of the finest in the game. Smriti, 28-year-old cricketer scored at an impressive average of 57.86 with a strike rate of 95.15.
As per the official website of the ICC(International Cricket Council), one of the factors that set the experienced India star apart during the year 2024 was how smriti managed to produce her best against superior opposition, scoring high runs in difficult series.
The BCCI (The Board of Control for Cricket in India) congratulated Smriti Mandhana, “Congratulations to @mandhana_Smriti, who has been adjudged ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the year. She scored 4 centuries and 3 half-centuries in 13 matches at average of 57.46, keep soaring high, Smriti.”
When India played against South Africa in June 2024, Smriti Mandhana scored back-to-back hundreds to motivate a 3-0 series win.
