The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the nominations for the ICC Women’s Player of the Month for July 2024. Two Indians have been included among the three players on the list. All three players are openers.
The two Indian players nominated for the prestigious award are Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma. Both have had a fantastic month across all formats of the game. The other player nominated for the award is Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu.
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Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma appear on the list
Smriti Mandhana was the winner of the ICC Player of the Month award for June 2024 and has been nominated for the award again this month. She is having a fantastic time with the bat of late. The left-hander impressed a lot in the home series against South Africa last month and has maintained her form this month as well.
In the recently concluded Asia Cup 2024, Mandhana scored 173 runs in five matches at an average of 57.66 and a strike rate of 137.30. She scored a brilliant 60 off 47 balls in the final against Sri Lanka but failed to take India over the finish line in the summit clash.
In the T20I series against South Africa earlier this month, Mandhana finished with 100 runs from two innings, averaging 100 and a strike rate of 142.85. She scored 54* in the final T20I to help India level the series 1-1.
In total, Mandhana has scored 273 runs at an average of 68.25 and a strike rate of 139.28 in all T20Is played in July 2024.
Meanwhile, Mandhana’s opening partner Shafali Verma has also joined this prestigious list. Verma had a brilliant Asia Cup 2024, where she finished as the second-highest run-scorer of the tournament with 200 runs in five matches, at an average of 50 and a strike rate of 140.84.
In India’s first match of the tournament, he scored 40 off 29 balls against arch-rivals Pakistan. He then also scored a career-best 81 off 48 balls against Nepal.
Shafali Verma also became the second Indian batsman after Mithali Raj to score a double century. Verma reached her double century off just 194 balls against South Africa. In total, she scored 205 as India posted 603-6 on the board, which is the highest total for the team in women’s Tests.
During the T20I series against South Africa, Shafali Verma scored 45 runs and was dismissed just once in two innings at a strike rate of 115.38. Overall, Verma scored 229 runs in Tests and 245 runs in T20Is during this period.
Chamari Athapaththu seeks to win the award for the third time
Another player on this list is Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu. Arguably the island’s best cricketer to date, Athapaththu was instrumental in Sri Lanka’s historic Asia Cup triumph this month. This was also her first Asia Cup title.
The all-rounder led the way and became the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 304 runs in five matches at an average of 101.33 and a strike rate of 146.85. She also captured three wickets with the ball.
The Sri Lankan captain scored 61 off 43 balls in the final against India to help her team clinch the title. Athapaththu was named Player of the Tournament for her all-round brilliance in the tournament.
