ICC nominates southpaw Smriti Mandhana for Women's T20I Cricketer of Year award

Dubai [UAE], December 29 (ANI): India's explosive opener Smriti Mandhana has been nominated for Women's T20I Cricketer of 2022 for consecutive years as announced by the International Cricket Council on Thursday.
Mandhana was nominated along with three other outstanding performers in the T20 format. Pakistan's Nida Dar, New Zealand's Sophie Devine and Australia's Tahlia McGrath.
Mandhana had a successful year, breaking records along the way, including the fastest fifty by an Indian woman (off just 23 balls) and breaking the 2500-run barrier in T20 Internationals. She also left her mark on the Women's T20 Asia Cup in Bangladesh and the memorable five-match T20I home series against Australia toward the end of a successful year.
The second T20I of the bilateral series against Australia in December of 2022 saw Mandhana's most thrilling innings of the year. Mandhana smashed a 49-ball 79 while chasing Australia's 187/1 in front of almost 47,000 people at the DY Patil stadium in Mumbai, the highest attendance for a women's cricket event in India.
She was India's leading scorer in the game, and she helped India tie the game at 187/5 to force a Super Over contest.
India batted first in the Super Over, scoring a respectable total of 20/1, of which Mandhana hit 13 off the final three balls (4, 6, 3). This turned out to be a total well enough for India as they restricted Australia to 16/1, sealing a memorable win in front of a roaring crowd.
Pakistan all-rounder Nida Dar, became the first Pakistan cricketer to take 100 T20I wickets and became the second-highest wicket-taker in Women's T20Is although her batting exploits were much more impressive in 2022.
This year, she scored three fifty-plus totals: an undefeated fifty at the Commonwealth Games, identical performances against India at the Asia Cup, and a well-made 61 at home against Ireland in November.
Dar excelled in the Asia Cup, scoring 145 runs in six matches at an impressive average of 72.50 and taking eight wickets for just 14.87 runs each. She was also selected as the ICC Women's Player of the Month for October for her outstanding all-around performance.
In the shortest format, Dar's greatest performance of the year came against India in the Asia Cup. Dar joined captain Bismah Maroof after a rocky start that left Pakistan floundering at 33/3 at the end of the Powerplay. They formed an important partnership of 76 runs together.
Dar maintained the pace even after Maroof was dismissed with a fierce knock. Her side scored 137/6 thanks to her 56* from just 37 balls, which included five fours and a six.
She bowled four overs for 23 runs while picking up two crucial wickets in Jemimah Rodrigues and India captain Harmanpreet Kaur, helping Pakistan easily win their first women's T20I match against India in six years. Dar was awarded Player of the Match for her match-winning contributions.
New Zealand captain Sophie Devine, the No. 1 all-rounder on the ICC Women's T20I Player Rankings, is at the top of the rankings for a good reason. She consistently demonstrates why she is among the top all-around players in the game.
This year, New Zealand won 11 of its 14 games played under her leadership, including one Super Over victory over the West Indies in the fourth T20I played in Antigua.
Tahlia McGrath made her T20I debut in October 2021 and is currently one of the candidates for the ICC Women's T20I Cricketer of the Year due to her incredible ascent in the shortest format this year. She is one of the most exciting athletes in the world and the current World No. 1 ICC Women's T20I batter. She also won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games.
She accumulated 128 runs in five matches at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, scoring at an average of 42.66. She was chosen as the ICC Women's Player of the Month for August of this year due to her outstanding performance. (ANI)