Dubai, Jan 26 (IANS): United Arab Emirates captain Esha Oza has been named the ICC Women's Associate Cricketer of the Year for 2024. She started the year in style as the UAE won the Asian Cricket Council Women’s Premier Cup, with Oza finishing as the leading scorer and being named Player of the Tournament.

The classy right-hander also played a big role in the UAE’s run to the knockout stages of the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier later in the year. Oza’s brilliant 66-run unbeaten innings, from 39 balls, inspired her team’s victory over Netherlands in that competition – a result that saw the UAE beat the Dutch to a top-two spot in a competitive Group B.

And Oza very nearly pulled off a miracle in the semifinals, smashing a defiant 66 from 44 balls against eventual tournament winners Sri Lanka as the UAE fell narrowly short of a huge upset in Abu Dhabi.

The right-handed batter was extremely consistent, reaching double figures in all-but one of her 20 innings in the year, hitting one century and four half-centuries. Her 711 runs came at an average of 41.82 and a strike rate of 111.79.

Oza’s highlight performance of the year came in the final of the Asian Cricket Council Women’s Premier Cup against Malaysia, but her standout display of that international tournament came earlier in the competition when she demolished Oman.

Opening the batting in the first innings, Oza hit 16 boundaries in a phenomenal century, ending unbeaten on 114 from just 69 balls to boost her team to a formidable total of 176/1. Her effort with the bat was her third century in international cricket and was her top score in a run-heavy 2024.