Smriti Mandhana, India’s has been named the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year for 2024

Smriti Mandhana, India’s star opener, has been named the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year for 2024, marking her second time receiving the prestigious honor. 

Mandhana scored an impressive 747 runs in 13 ODI matches, averaging 57.86 with a strike rate of 95.15. This made her the leading run-scorer in women’s ODIs for 2024, ahead of prominent players like Laura Wolvaardt (697 runs), Tammy Beaumont (554), and Hayley Matthews (469). She also created history by hitting four centuries in a calendar year, a new record in women’s cricket, along with 95 fours and six sixes.  

The left-handed batter consistently delivered match-winning performances against high-quality opposition. She began the year with back-to-back centuries in a 3-0 series win over South Africa in June. In October, her outstanding century in the series decider against New Zealand solidified her reputation as a big-match player.

One of Mandhana’s most memorable performances came in December against the world’s top-ranked team, Australia, at the WACA in Perth. Facing one of the most formidable bowling attacks in women’s cricket, she scored a brilliant 105 off 109 balls. Despite India falling short in the match, Mandhana’s innings stood out as a masterclass in skill and resilience, with 14 boundaries and one six. Remarkably, the rest of the Indian lineup managed just seven boundaries in the entire innings.  

Mandhana’s phenomenal year also saw her dominate the ICC Women’s Championship, where she accumulated a staggering 1,358 runs in 24 matches, leading the run-scoring charts by a significant margin.