Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain and star India player Smriti Mandhana has been honored as the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year 2024. The Indian left-hander enjoyed a remarkable year in ODIs, showcasing exceptional form with the bat.
Mandhana stood out among her peers, accumulating an impressive 747 runs in 13 ODIs at an average of 57.46 and a strike rate of 95.15. Her stellar performance included four centuries and three half-centuries, making her the top run-scorer in the format for the year.
She outperformed prominent players like Laura Wolvaardt (697 runs), Tammy Beaumont (554 runs), and Hayley Matthews (469 runs). Additionally, her four centuries in 2024 set a new record in women’s ODI cricket.
In June, she set the tone with back-to-back centuries during India’s 3-0 series win against South Africa. She further solidified her dominance with a century against New Zealand in October and another against Australia in December.
Smriti Mandhana showcased her aggressive batting prowess for India in 2024, hitting 95 fours and 6 sixes in ODIs, surpassing the boundary line over 100 times throughout the year. Her standout performance came during the second ODI against South Africa in Bengaluru in June, where she recorded her highest score of 136.
Opening the innings, Smriti hammered 136 runs off just 120 deliveries, lacing her knock with 18 fours and 2 sixes at an impressive strike rate of 113.33. She also contributed significantly in the first ODI of the same series, scoring a brilliant 117.
Smriti Mandhana Leads Run-Scorers’ Chart in ICC Women’s ChampionshipÂ
The ICC Women’s Championship serves as the ODI table determining the qualifiers for the 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup. India’s Smriti Mandhana, following her exceptional batting performances in 2024, currently leads the run-scorers’ chart in the tournament.
The left-hander has amassed an impressive 1358 runs in 24 matches, averaging 59.04 with a strike rate of 96.10. Her tally includes five centuries and eight half-centuries. Only two other players, Laura Wolvaardt (1234 runs) and Chamari Athapaththu (1088 runs), have crossed the 1000-run mark in the competition.
Overall, Smriti has represented India in 97 ODIs, scoring 4209 runs at an average of 46.25, with 10 centuries and 30 half-centuries to her name.
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