Dubai, Jan 25 (IANS): India's Smriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma have been included in the ICC Women's T20I Team of the Year following their stellar contributions in 2024.
Laura Wolvaardt-led side is dominated by three Indian players followed by two from South Africa and one each from Sri Lanka, West Indies, England, New Zealand, Ireland and Pakistan.
Smriti Mandhana kicked off the year with a stellar 54 against Australia at DY Patil Stadium, a performance that propelled the left-handed batter to a year of outstanding T20I performances.
In a testament to her consistency, Mandhana closed out the year in a similar fashion, making three half-centuries on the trot against West Indies at home, only emphasising her reliability in the format.
Her outstanding performances propelled her to the second spot in the ICC Women’s T20I Batting Rankings.
The Indian wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh stands out for her ability to score runs in an extremely aggressive manner, consistently leading the charge with her attacking style of play.
Ghosh was in explosive form whenever she had the chance to bat, smashing a blistering 64* off 29 balls at an incredible strike rate of 220.68 against UAE in Dambulla.
The right-handed batter maintained an impressive strike rate of 156.65 in 2024, in a year that included another rapid fifty, scoring 54 off just 21 balls against West Indies at DY Patil Stadium.
Deepti Sharma proved to be a consistent performer, with her reliable batting and outstanding bowling spells, playing a key role for India.
Her tally of wickets includes 30 scalps at an average of 17.80 and an economy rate of 6.01 across T20I matches in 2024.
The 27-year-old claimed wickets in almost every match, with standout performances such as 3/13 from 4 overs against Nepal in Dambulla and 3/20 from 4 overs against Pakistan in the Women’s Asia Cup, solidifying her spot in the team.
Smriti and Deepti were also named in the ICC Women's ODI Team of the Year which was also led by South Africa batter Laura Wolvaardt.
The other members of the ICC Women's T20I Team of the Year include - Wolvaardt (673 runs), Chamari Athapaththu (720 runs), Hayley Matthews (538 runs), Nat Sciver-Brunt (423 runs), Melie Kerr (387 runs and 29 wickets), Marizanne Kapp (399 runs and 11 wickets), Orla Prendergast (544 runs and 21 wickets), Sadia Iqbal (30 wickets).