Smriti Mandhana nominated for ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year 2021 award

India’s Smriti Mandhana has received the nomination for the biggest individual cricketing honour for the calendar year as she finds her name in the four members shortlist for the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for 2021, which is given to the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year every calendar year. 

Along with this, she has also been nominated for the ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year 2021 award. The 25-year-old Mandhana was in scintillating form this year, though she was not cracking it every game, but per5formed exceptionally well overall. 

In tidal the left-hander scored 855 runs in 22 internationals at an average of 38.86 with one century and five half-centuries to her name, The one century, her debut Test hundred came against Australia in a challenging condition. 

Alongside Mandhana, England’s Tammy Beaumont, who also had a superb year with the bat has been nominated for the prestigious award. South African opener Lizelle Lee and Ireland’s Gaby Lewis also find themselves fighting for the same award. 

While Beaumont has scored 872 runs in 21 internationals at an average of 48.44 with one century and eight half-centuries, Lee has to her kitty 864 runs in 19 internationals at an average of 57.6 with one century and seven half-centuries. 

The Irish woman Lewis, who registered her name in the record books by becoming the first Irish player, male or female to hit a T20I century, has scored 624 runs in 15 internationals at an average of 52 with one century and four half-centuries. 

In the ICC Women’s T20I Player of the Year 2021 category, Mandhana is once again in the company of Beaumont and Lewis and also has England Vice-Captain Nat Sciver for competition. 

Beaumont is the only one that finds herself in all three categories of nominations for women cricketers at the ICC awards as she is also in the race to be crowned ICC Women’s ODI Player of the Year. In that list, she is accompanied by Lizelle Lee, West Indies’ Hayley Matthews and Pakistan’s Fatima Sana. 

The winners of the Women’s Awards will be announced on January 23  while the Men’s Awards, Spirit of Cricket, and Umpire Award will be announced on January 24.