The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced all the winners of their annual awards on January 24, 2022. Among all the famous cricketers from around the world, the name which served as a delight to all the Indian cricket fans was that of Smriti Mandhana, who won the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for being the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year 2021.
The swashbuckling opener bagged the trophy for her stellar form across all formats of cricket in 2021. She had earlier bagged the same award in 2018. This is only the second time that this award has been won more than once in the women’s category. Australian opener Ellyse Perry had previously achieved this feat. Mandhana is also the only Indian woman after Jhulan Goswami to ever win an ICC annual award.
The T20 vice-captain made a total of 855 runs in 22 internationals at an average of 38.86 runs. She made one century in a test and five half-centuries in 2021. Her maiden test century served to be the highlight of India’s first-ever pink-ball Test held in Australia.
Mandhana took the top spot after beating Tammy Beaumont of England, Lizelle Lee of South Africa, and Gaby Lewis of Ireland. She also found her way to the ICC T20 Women’s Team of the Year.
Winners of other ICC Awards
Here are a few more cricketers who won the prestigious awards. Pakistani bowler Shaheen Afridi won the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for the ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year. Lizelle Lee of Australia got the award for the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year while Babar Azam of Pakistan won the same award in the men’s category.
Joe Root of England was the recipient of the award for ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year. Mohammad Rizwan of Pakistan and Tammy Beaumont of England bagged the awards for the ICC T20I Cricketer of the Year in the men’s and women’s category respectively.
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