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Star India batter Smriti Mandhana has won the BCCI women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year at an event held in Mumbai on Saturday.
Indian cricket star Smriti Mandhana (PTI)
Smriti Mandhana won the Best Woman International Cricketer of the Year award well as another award for being the highest run-getter in One Day Internationals at the BCCI’s Naman Awards held in Mumbai on Saturday.
Mandhana, who was the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year, made 743 runs in the 2024 calendar year.
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 six maximums.
In fact, Mandhana ended the year with more runs and centuries than any other player, passing three figures in sublime knocks against New Zealand, Australia, and in back-to-back contests against South Africa.
The 28-year-old cricketer’s ODI runs came at an average of 57.86 and an impressive strike rate of 95.15.
One of the factors that set the experienced India star apart during the year was how she managed to produce her best against high-calibre opposition, scoring big runs in difficult series.
Mandhana set an early standard with back-to-back hundreds to inspire a 3-0 series win against South Africa in June. An outstanding century proved the match-defining contribution in a series decider against New Zealand in October. And Mandhana again showcased her ability to dominate the very best with a defiant century in Perth against Australia in a losing cause in December.
Mandhana set new career standards in One Day Internationals, scoring more runs than she ever has before in a calendar year, racking up 747 runs in 13 innings across 2024.
Unsurprisingly, her phenomenal year cemented her place at the top of the run scorers charts in the ICC Women’s Championship – the ODI table that will cement the qualifiers for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025.
Mandhana is one of just five batters to have reached four figures in the competition, accumulating up an eye-watering 1358 runs in her 24 matches in the Championship, more than 100 runs clear of the next highest scorer (Wolvaardt).
More to follow…
