Celebrating her achievement, former India batting great Sachin Tendulkar took to Twitter to share a special message for Smriti Mandhana.
Indian women’s cricket team opening batter Smriti Mandhana was on Monday named the ICC Women’s cricketer of the year (2021), the highest award in the women’s game. This is the second time Mandhana has won the top award, having received the honour in 2018 as well. In 2018 she had also received the Women’s ODI cricketer of the year award too. Along with Jhulan Goswami, who won the top award in 2007, Mandhana is only the second Indian to win the annual ICC award, and the first Indian to win it twice now.
Celebrating her achievement, former India batting great Sachin Tendulkar took to Twitter to share a special message for Mandhana.
“Heartiest congratulations @mandhana_smriti on yet another magnificent year in international cricket. Keep giving your best and keep scaling new heights. #ICCWomensCricketerOfTheYear,” Tendulkar wrote on Twitter along with a photo of Mandhana in India colours.
In the limited-overs series against South Africa where India won just two of the eight matches at home, Mandhana played a major role in both of the wins. She made 80 not out as India chased down 158 in the second ODI that helped them level the series and scored 48 not out in the win in the final T20I.
Mandhana played a sublime innings of 78 in the first innings of the one-off Test against England that ended in a draw. She played an important knock of 49 in India’s only win in the ODI series. Her 15-ball 29 and fifty in the T20I series went in vain though as India fell short in both the matches and lost the series 2-1.
Mandhana was in good touch in the series against Australia, starting with the ODI series where she scored 86 in the second ODI. She compiled a brilliant century in the only Test (the first of her career), and was awarded the Player of the Match. She scored her second T20I fifty of the year in the final T20I, though India fell short and lost the series 2-0.
Mandhana made India’s first-ever pink-ball Test even more memorable by smashing her maiden century in the longest format.
The left-hander played her natural game to begin with, and scored a run-a-ball half-century, playing with caution under the lights.
Mandhana was caught on 80, but was given a reprieve after Ellyse Perry overstepped. She made the most of the lifeline, reaching her first Test century in style with a boundary.
Her innings finally came to an end at 127, after putting India in a strong position. The match ended in a draw, and Mandhana was declared the Player of the Match.