Smriti Mandhana Nominated for ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year

Dubai, Dec 29 (NationPress) Indian cricket sensation Smriti Mandhana has been recognized as a contender for the ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year award following an exceptional season with the bat.

Mandhana is nominated for this prestigious annual honor in the 50-over format alongside Laura Wolvaardt from South Africa, Annabel Sutherland from Australia, and Chamari Athapaththu of Sri Lanka.

The left-handed batter ignited her 2024 campaign with a pair of centuries in June against South Africa in Bengaluru, continuing her fine form with two additional hundreds as the year progressed, maintaining her performance level until December.

In a remarkable Player of the Series display against South Africa, Mandhana accumulated a total of 343 runs across three innings, capping off her year with her third century—scoring 100 in the final match of India's home series against New Zealand, just after the conclusion of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup.

Another century was recorded in the last game of her team's three-match series against Australia in December, though this achievement was overshadowed by Australia completing a dominant 3-0 series victory.

Wolvaardt began the year sluggishly, managing only seven runs in three innings against Australia, but quickly rebounded, showcasing her talent in subsequent ODI matches.

She notched up two unbeaten centuries against Sri Lanka—including a remarkable career-best score of 184 not out in Potchefstroom—and secured her third century in four matches against India in Bengaluru in June.

Wolvaardt later added a half-century against India and concluded her 2024 season with strong performances against England at home in December.

Meanwhile, the 23-year-old Sutherland kicked off her year with a two-wicket haul in Australia’s win over India in Mumbai, although she had a quieter spell during a home series against South Africa.

Despite limited chances during Australia’s white-ball tour of Bangladesh in March, she managed to shine with an unbeaten score of 58 in a comfortable series-opening victory in Mirpur.

Sutherland truly excelled towards the end of the year during consecutive series against India and New Zealand, scoring centuries in back-to-back matches and earning Player of the Series accolades against Harmanpreet Kaur’s squad.

Athapaththu made her first ODI appearance of 2024 in April and quickly made an impact with scores of 51 and an impressive 195 not out during a series against South Africa.

The 34-year-old maintained her excellent form into a three-match ODI series against the West Indies, accumulating 130 runs and taking four wickets, contributing to Sri Lanka’s emphatic 3-0 series sweep.

She concluded her year on a high note with an innings of 48 and a three-wicket haul in Sri Lanka's final ODI match of the year in Belfast.