Two Indian openers have made the short list for the July 2024 ICC Women’s Player of the Month award, according to the most recent information obtained from the ICC organization.
Smriti Mandhana
Following her June 2024 victory, Smriti Mandhana has been nominated for the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award for a second time. Mandhana’s outstanding performance persisted into July, beginning with a career-high score of 149 in the one-off Test match against South Africa. She and Shafali Verma shared the highest-ever opening-wicket partnership in Women’s Test history, scoring 292 runs together, which helped India amass a mammoth first-innings total and win by 10 wickets.
Mandhana also performed admirably in the Twenty20 International (T20I) series against South Africa, amassing 100 runs in two innings, including an undefeated fifty-four in the last T20I to enable India win by ten wickets and tie the series.
Mandhana scored the most runs for India in the Asia Cup, totaling 173 runs, including 60 off 47 balls in the championship match. She averaged 68.25 with a strike rate of 139.28 in July’s Twenty20 Internationals, scoring 273 runs overall.
Shafali Verma
The other regular opener for India, Shafali Verma, is also a nominee for the July ICC Women’s Player of the Month honour. During this time, Verma scored 245 runs in T20Is and 229 runs in Test format.
Shafali achieved the fastest double century in Women’s Test history in just 194 balls, making history as the second Indian woman to register a double century in the format thanks to her exceptional combination with Mandhana. Her 205 helped India to the highest-ever Women’s Test total of 603/6, setting a new record. India won handily because to Shafali’s contributions, which included a wicket in the second innings and a rapid 24* in the chase.
Shafali scored 45 more runs in the T20I series versus South Africa before carrying over her impressive form in the Asia Cup. With 200 runs at 140.84, she was the second-highest run scorer in the competition. She scored a career-high 81 off 48 balls, including 12 fours and a six, against Nepal in addition to a blistering 40 off 29 balls against Pakistan.