Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, and Chamari Athapaththu have been nominated for the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award for July 2024.
Smriti Mandhana, India’s vice-captain, is aiming for back-to-back success after winning the award in June. In July, she scored 273 runs in T20Is at an average of 68.25 and a strike rate of 139.28. She began with a career-best 149 in the one-off Test against South Africa, setting a record partnership with Shafali Verma. She also scored 100 runs in the T20I series against South Africa and 173 runs in the Women’s Asia Cup.
Shafali Verma, India’s opening batter, scored 229 Test runs and 245 T20I runs in July. She became the second Indian woman to hit a double century in Tests, reaching the milestone in 194 balls, the fastest ever in Women’s Tests. She also scored 205 in the first innings, the highest score for India in their record-breaking total of 603/6. In the T20I series against South Africa, she scored 45 runs, and in the Women’s Asia Cup, she was the second-highest run-getter with 200 runs at a strike rate of 140.84.
Chamari Athapaththu, Sri Lanka’s skipper, led her team to victory in the Women’s Asia Cup on home soil. She scored 304 runs during the competition at an average of 101.33 and a strike rate of 146.85. Her standout performances included an unbeaten 119 against Malaysia and two crucial half-centuries in the knockout stages.
The ICC Women’s Player of the Month award for July 2024 will be announced soon.
