Smriti Mandhana secures her first-ever ICC Women’s Player of the Month Award for heroics in June 2024

India Women's National Cricket Team batter Smriti Mandhana was crowned as the winner of the ICC Women’s Player of the Month Award for June on Tuesday (9th July). The opening batter, who has been going through the rich vein of form across all the formats earned the award the first time in her career.

Smriti Mandhana along with England’s Maia Bouchier and Sri Lanka’s Vishmi Gunaratne was nominated for the ICC Women’s Player of the Month Award for June. But the India batter's sensational performance last month in the ODIs and the one-off Test against the South Africa Women's National Cricket Team helped her clinch the award.

Smriti Mandhana oozed her class with the bat in the ODI series against South Africa. She was one of the main reasons why the India Women's National Cricket Team ended up whitewashing the opposition in the three-match series and then winning the one-off Test to give fans immense joy and pleasure.

Smriti Mandhana started the ODI series with a magical innings of 113 and then followed it up with another century in the second game. The opening batter played a knock of 136 before scoring 90 runs in the third match. She ended the series with 343 runs in the three matches against South Africa.

If this was not enough, Smriti Mandhana then continued her golden touch with the bat in Test cricket. The opening batter scored 149 from just 161 and added 292 for the first wicket with Shafali Verma as India completed a 10-wicket win in the one-off Test against the South Africa Women's National Cricket Team.

Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Varma with their 292-run stand also recorded the second-highest partnership in women's Test cricket. The 309-run stand by the Australian duo in Densie Annetts and Lindsay Reeler against England in 1987 is the highest.

Smriti Mandhana in the last one month has been the main reason behind the Team's dominating outing across the formats. The opening batter hasn't put a foot wrong while opening the batting. A lot has been reliant on her and she would be keen to carry her good form.

I'm happy to contribute for us - Smriti Mandhana after winning the ing ICC Player of the Month Award for June

Smriti Mandhana talked about winning the ICC Player of the Month Award for June and said that she is happy with the way she performed for the team. She also expressed her delight in helpthe ing team in the ODI and the Test series against South Africa. Taking about the same, he stated:

"I'm glad to be named ICC Women's Player of the Month for the month of June. I'm really happy with the way I think the team has performed and I'm happy to contribute for us, winning the ODI and the Test series. Hopefully we can continue our form, and I can even further contribute to winning matches for India."