Charismatic India opener Smriti Mandhana was on Monday named ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year after a phenomenal run with the bat in 2024.
The India vice-captain Mandhana set new career standards in One Day Internationals, scoring more runs than she ever has before in a calendar year, racking up 747 runs in 13 innings across 2024.
The left-hander's tally was the highest among leading run-scorer in Women's ODIs in 2024, ahead of Laura Wolvaardt (697), Tammy Beaumont (554) and Hayley Matthews (469).
Her runs came at an impressive average of 57.86 and she scored at an impressive strike rate of 95.15, helping set an attacking tone for India’s top order.
Mandhana also scored four ODI centuries in the year – a new record in the women’s game – and found the boundary more than a hundred times in the year, hitting 95 fours and six maximums across 2024.
Mandhana set an early benchmark with back-to-back centuries, inspiring India to a 3-0 series victory against South Africa in June. She followed this with a match-defining century in the series decider against New Zealand in October.
Later, in December, Mandhana once again demonstrated her ability to dominate top-tier opposition with a defiant century against Australia in Perth, albeit in a losing cause.
Her phenomenal year solidified her position as the leading run-scorer in the ICC Women's Championship -- the ODI competition that will determine the qualifiers for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025.
Mandhana is one of only five batters to surpass 1,000 runs in the Championship, amassing a staggering 1,358 runs in 24 matches. This places her more than 100 runs ahead of the next highest scorer, Laura Wolvaardt.
Her standout innings of the year came in December against the world's top-ranked team, Australia, where she scored a brilliant 105. Although her century wasn't enough to secure a win for India, her performance pushed the defending World Champions to the brink at the WACA in Perth.
Mandhana's 105 off 109 balls included 14 fours and a six, showcasing her dominance. In stark contrast, the rest of the Indian team managed only seven boundaries combined during the innings.
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