Smriti Mandhana earns a spot in ICC Women's ODI Team of the Year 2024
Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma grabbed the headlines throughout 2024 with their performances in the W-ODI format, and for their efforts, the Indian duo was also named in the ICC Women's ODI Team of the Year 2024.
Mandhana, who captains RCB in the WPL, aced the scoring charts in WODIs with a tally of 747 runs which featured four centuries in the calendar year. The southpaw had a shaky start to the year as she opened it with a run-a-ball 29 against Australia. However, her next appearance came six months later, a series against South Africa in which she belted a sensational 343 runs and walked away with the Player of the Series award.
She also registered a blistering ton against New Zealand to continue her dream run, a knock with which she overcame Mithali Raj to become the highest Indian centurion in WODIs. Notably, Mandhana is also in the hunt for the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year 2024 award.
Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma was also in instrumental form as she finished as the leading wicket-taker of the year. She claimed 24 scalps at an average of 12.71. She inched ahead of Sophie Ecclestone, who finished with 21 wickets to her name and Kate Cross, who registered 19 wickets at an average of 18.00.
Deepti Sharma maintained an overall consistency across the year as she started it with a gritty 25-run knock against Australia. In the three-match series against South Africa in Bengaluru, Deepti claimed a couple of wickets in each of the three ODIs, while also scoring a much-needed 37 in the series opener.
Sharma’s phenomenal performance continued in the following series against New Zealand, claiming six wickets in the sequence. She ended the year on a blaze of glory with magical numbers of 6/31 against West Indies before hammering an unbeaten 39 to propel India across the line.
ICC Women's ODI Team of the Year 2024:
Smriti Mandhana (IND), Laura Wolvaardt (SA) (c), Chamari Athapaththu (SL), Hayley Matthews (WI), Marizanne Kapp (SA), Ash Gardner (Aus), Annabel Sutherland (Aus), Amy Jones (Eng) (wk), Deepti Sharma (IND), Sophie Ecclestone (Eng), Kate Cross (Eng)
