Smriti Mandhana wins ICC Women's cricketer of the year 2021 award for her stellar form across all formats
Xtra Time Web Desk : Team India opener Smriti Mandhana on Monday was adjudged as the ICC Women's Cricketer of the year for her brilliant performances across all formats for her team in 2021.
The Southpaw had won the award in 2018 as well when she was also named the women's ODI Cricketer of the Year, making her only the second women's player to win the highest individual distinction in the overall category.
The Indian T20 vice captain is only the second Indian woman player to bag an ICC award after veteran fast bowler Jhulan Goswami, who was named the ICC Player of the Year in 2007.
In the limited-overs series against South Africa where India won just two of the eight matches at home, Mandhana played a major role in both of the wins. She made 80 not out as India chased down 158 in the second ODI that helped them level the series and scored 48 not out in the win in the final T20I.
The 25-year-old played a sublime innings of 78 in the first innings of the one-off Test against England that ended in a draw. She played an important knock of 49 in India's only win in the ODI series.
Her 15-ball 29 and fifty in the T20I series went in vain though as India fell short in both the matches and lost the series 2-1.
The Southpaw was in good touch in the series against Australia, starting with the ODI series where she scored 86 in the second ODI.
compiled a brilliant century in the only Test (the first of her career), and was awarded the Player of the Match. She scored her second T20I fifty of the year in the final T20I, though India fell short and lost the series 2-0.
Mandhana made India's first-ever pink-ball Test even more memorable by smashing her maiden century in the longest format.
(News Courtesy : PTI)
