Women’s T20I team of the year 2022


image-lcbrsrriSmriti Mandhana in action [Source: Twitter]

2022 packed an eventful 12-month period for women's cricket, especially in T20Is. The year featured a return of the sport at the Commonwealth Games, with women's cricketing tournament taking place for the first time at the quadrennial international event.

Moreover, the year also rounded up many exciting bilateral contests, alongside an Asia Cup competition in October.

With the year coming to an end, we shape our Women's T20I team of 2022 by re-visiting some of the top-performing cricketers from the past 12 months.


Women’s T20I team of the year 2022

Smriti Mandhana

Smriti Mandhana, in just 21 T20I innings, piled up 594 runs in 2022, with 159 of those coming at the highly competitive Commonwealth Games in English conditions. Her impactful batting recitals also powered India to an Asia Cup title in Bangladesh later in the year.

While Mandhana is the year's fourth-highest run-aggregator overall, she is at the top of the pile among players from member nations.


Sophie Devine

New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine listed 389 runs throughout 2022 and was the second-highest scorer at the Commonwealth Games. Moreover, the star all-rounder also struck 13 times with the ball for her team.

Devine extensively helmed the top spot of ICC T20I rankings for all-rounders, only to be usurped to number two in the year's final week.


Tahlia McGrath

Australia's Tahlia McGrath chipped in with series-winning performances in India to cap her successful 2022. The all-rounder picked up 13 wickets in the year, including eight at the Commonwealth Games, to go with her 435-run tally with the bat.


Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain)

image-lcbrv560Harmanpreet Kaur had a great year in T20Is [Source: Twitter]

Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur scored 524 runs in the year at an average of 32.75. She commanded the 'Women in Blue' in their runners-up campaign at the Commonwealth Games, where they narrowly missed out on Gold to Australia in the final.

Moreover, the dynamic cricketer also led her team to a comprehensive title win at the Asia Cup in Bangladesh.


Nida Dar 

Nida Dar's all-round exploits at the Asia Cup and in the subsequent home series against Ireland make her one of the standout performers of the year. The senior Pakistani cricketer scored 396 runs with the bat at an average of 56.57, all while adding 15 wickets to her illustrious bowling career.

She was also nominated as one of the four contenders to win the Women's T20I player of the year by ICC.


Ashleigh Gardner

Australian all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner won the Commonwealth Games in England, starred in her side's 4-1 series win in India, and culminated her year with a number-one ranked T20I all-rounder status by ICC.


Deepti Sharma

Deepti Sharma claimed 29 wickets through her cunning right-arm offbreaks as she finishes the year as its highest wicket-taker among member nations. Moreover, the dynamic Indian all-rounder also contributed with 370 runs in the middle-order at a staggering strike-rate of over 136.


Arlene Kelly

Young Irish pacer Arlene Kelly claimed 21 wickets in 2022 from just 16 innings, at an impressive average of 15.23. The right-armer also stunned Pakistan Women in November with figures of 3-19 in the decider of their three-match series.


Hayley Jensen

Across 12 matches throughout the year, New Zealand’s Hayley Jensen maintained an imposing bowling average of just 11.89. Her 19-wicket tally of 2022 included a match-winning and a career-best spell of 3-5 against Sri Lanka.


Sophie Ecclestone

image-lcbrwfp1Ecclestone was the highest wicket taker in 2022 [Source: Twitter]

Senior England spinner Sophie Ecclestone bagged 19 wickets from just 17 outings. She also maintained an economy rate of just 5.86 during the same period, and delivered tight spells against West Indies in December’s five-match series.


Renuka Singh

Renuka Singh finished the year with 22 wickets, thus making her 2022’s most successful T20I fast bowler among member nations. The emerging speedster was also the highest wicket-taker at the Commonwealth Games.


ALSO READ | T20 World Cup 2023: Shikha Pandey makes much awaited return as India Women announce squad