Smriti Mandhana named ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year

Indian opener Smriti Mandhana was named the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year as well as the ICC Women’s ODI Player of the Year by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday. The 22-year-old won the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award for the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year. 

Australia’s wicketkeeper-batter Alyssa Healy, who was a part of Australia’s World T20 title-winning team in 2018, was voted ICC T20I Player of the Year. England’s Sophie Ecclestone was named ICC Emerging Player of the Year.

Mandhana, who also made it to the ICC Women’s ODI and T20I teams of the year, scored 669 runs at an average of 66.90 in 12 ODIs and 622 runs at a strike-rate of 130.67 in 25 T20Is.

In the ICC World Twenty20, Mandhana played a crucial role in India's run to the semifinals. She scored 178 runs in five matches at a strike-rate of 125.35. 

“The awards are pretty special because as a player when you score runs, you want the team to win, and then when you get acknowledged for your performances through these awards, it motivates you to work harder and do well for your team."

“The century I scored in South Africa (in Kimberley) was quite satisfying and then I had good home series against Australia and England. A lot of people used to say I do not score that much in India, so I had a point to prove to myself. That was something which really made me better as a player. And then, of course, the first four matches of the ICC Women’s World T20 were quite memorable.”