India’s opening pair, Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, have been nominated for the ICC Player of the Month award for July 2024. They are joined by Sri Lankan veteran Chamari Athapaththu, who completes the list of nominees.
Athapaththu had a standout performance during the Women’s Asia Cup, leading Sri Lanka to their first championship. She scored a career-best 119 not out against Malaysia, followed by 63 in the semifinal against Pakistan and 61 in the final against India. Her tally of 304 runs in five innings, at an average of 101.33 and a strike rate of 146.85, earned her Player of the Tournament honours and a spot among the ICC Player of the Month contenders.
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Mandhana began July with a remarkable 149 in a one-off Test against South Africa, and followed with scores of 46 and 54* in the T20Is against the same team. In the Women’s Asia Cup, Mandhana scored 173 runs in four innings, second only to her Indian teammate. She top-scored for India in the final with 60 runs off 47 balls, despite the team’s loss. Mandhana previously won the ICC Player of the Month award in June.
Shafali Verma also had a notable month, including a double century in the one-off Test against South Africa, becoming only the second Indian woman to achieve this feat. Her 205 runs contributed to India’s highest-ever score in Women’s Tests, 603/6 declared. Verma was the second-highest run-scorer in the Women’s Asia Cup with 200 runs at a strike rate above 140, including a blistering 81 off 48 balls against Nepal.
The ICC Player of the Month winners will be announced in the coming days.