ICC Awards: India's Smriti Mandhana Bags ICC Women's Cricketer Of The Year Award

ICC Women's Cricketer Of The Year 2021: Smriti Mandhana won the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year.

Smriti Mandhana is ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year | Image Courtesy: Twitter/@ICC

New Delhi: India's batter Smriti Mandhana has been adjudged as the ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year winner for a phenomenal 2021 season. In a tweet on Monday, ICC announced India's swashbuckling opener as the ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year.

Hitting 855 runs in 22 internationals at an average of 38.86 for India with one century and five half-centuries to her name, Smriti Mandhana won the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year.

A year to remember 🤩

Smriti Mandhana's quality at the top of the order was on full display in 2021 🏏

More on her exploits 👉 https://t.co/QI8Blxf0O5 pic.twitter.com/3jRjuzIxiT

— ICC (@ICC) January 24, 2022

Mandhana was short-listed for the ICC annual award along with Tammy Beaumont of England, Lizelle Lee of South Africa, and Gaby Lewis of Ireland.

Mandhana made India's first-ever pink-ball Test even more memorable by smashing her maiden century in the longest format.

The Southpaw was in overall good touch in the series against Australia, starting with the ODI series where she scored 86 in the second ODI. She compiled a brilliant century in the only Test and scored her second T20I fifty of the year in the final T20I, though India lost the series 2-0.

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 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.

(With PTI Inputs)