Edited By: Aditya Maheshwari
Last Updated: December 29, 2022, 15:27 IST
Suryakumar, Mandhana Among Nominees for ICC T20I Cricketer of the Year Honour (AFP Images)
Suryakumar Yadav ended the year as the highest run-getter, scoring 1164 runs at a ridiculous strike rate of 187.43.
The International Cricket Council on Thursday announced the nominees for the men’s and women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year awards as two Indians managed to get into the lists. Flamboyant batter Suryakumar Yadav got included in the Men’s nomination, while the swashbuckling opener Smriti Mandhana made to women’s listing.
Suryakumar has performed consistently well with the bat this year and has a strong chance to win the coveted award. He ended the year as the highest run-getter, scoring 1164 runs at a ridiculous strike rate of 187.43. His tally of 68 sixes in the calendar year in T20s is the highest anyone has recorded in the format in a year by a fair distance.
He is also currently placed at the number 1 position in ICC T20I batsman rankings. He displayed his ability of 360-degree shot-making in the difficult conditions Down Under during the T20 World Cup this year. He was the third-highest run-getter in the tournament. He continued his imperious form after the tournament and smashed a sensational century on the New Zealand tour.
Suryakumar has been nominated alongside T20 World Cup-winning England all-rounder Sam Curran, Pakistan wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan and Zimbabwe’s batting all-rounder Sikandar Raza for the top honours in the men’s category.
Meanwhile, last year’s ICC women’s T20 Cricketer of the Year, Mandhana was once again a picture of consistency in the shortest format.
From smashing the quickest fifty by an India woman (off just 23 balls) to breaching the 2500-run mark in T20s, Mandhana enjoyed a good run this year.
She left her mark on the Commonwealth Games, the T20 Asia Cup and a memorable five-match home series against Australia towards the business end of a fruitful year.
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Mandhana’s most exciting innings of 2022 came in the second T20 of the bilateral series against Australia in December.
In front of over 47,000 spectators – the highest turnout for a women’s cricket match in India – at the DY Patil stadium in Mumbai, Mandhana smacked a 49-ball 79 while chasing Australia’s 187/1.
She was India’s top-scorer in the match, taking the match to the very end as India set up a super over clash after levelling the scores at 187/5.
In the super over, India came out to bat first and scored a competitive total of 20/1, out of which Mandhana scored 13 off the last 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.
(With Agency Inputs)
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