Indian women’s cricketer Smriti Mandhana was the only Indian to be part of International Cricket Council’s Women’s Team of the Year 2016, which was announced on Wednesday.
Mandhana had a stellar tour of Australia earlier this year, where she scored 157 runs in the three One-Day Internationals, including a maiden century. She is also the second Indian after Harmanpreet Kaur to represent India in Australia’s Women’s Big Bash League, where she is currently plying her trade with Brisbane Heat.
New Zealand’s Suzie Bates became the first cricketer to clinch both the ICC Women’s ODI and Twenty20 International Player of the Year awards. In a stellar year, Bates scored 472 runs in eight ODIs at an average of just over 94. She also took eight wickets with a strike-rate of 22.50 and economy-rate of 3.75. In the shortest format of the game, Bates was the leading run-scorer with 429 runs at an average of 42.90 and a strike-rate of over 115 runs per 100 balls.
Women’s Team of the Year (in batting order):
Suzie Bates (New Zealand), Rachel Priest (New Zealand) (wicketkeeper), Smriti Mandhana (India), Stafanie Taylor (West Indies) (captain), Meg Lanning (Australia), Ellyse Perry (Australia), Heather Knight (England), Deandra Dottin (West Indies), Sune Luus (South Africa), Anya Shrubsole (England), Leigh Kasperek (New Zealand), Kim Garth (12th) (Ireland)
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