(Source X)
Smriti Mandhana of the India Women’s National Cricket Team secured the prestigious ICC Women’s Player of the Month Award for June, a testament to her exceptional form across all formats. This accolade marks her first-time achievement in her career.
Competing against England’s Maia Bouchier and Sri Lanka’s Vishmi Gunaratne for the honor, Mandhana’s standout performances during the month, particularly in ODIs and the one-off Test against South Africa Women’s National Cricket Team, sealed her victory.
In the ODIs, Mandhana played a pivotal role in India’s comprehensive series sweep over South Africa. She began with a commanding 113-run innings, followed by another century in the second match with 136 runs, and concluded the series with a solid 90 runs in the third game, accumulating a total of 343 runs across three matches.
Her dominance extended into the one-off Test, where she batted brilliantly to score 149 runs from just 161 deliveries, forming a record-breaking 292-run opening partnership with Shafali Verma. This stellar performance helped India clinch a resounding 10-wicket victory over South Africa.
Smriti Mandhana’s consistency and match-winning contributions throughout June underscored her status as one of the leading figures in women’s cricket today, earning her well-deserved recognition from the ICC.