The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday named the Women’s T20I Team of the Year (2022), India’s lead-off batsman Smriti Mandhana, all-rounder Deepti Sharma and wicket-keeper-batsman Richa Ghosh have been named in the XI. New Zealand’s Sophie Devine has been named captain of the side. The team has three Indians, while three players from Australia have also been named in the line-up. Indian superstar Smriti Mandhana had a stellar year with the bat, scoring 594 runs at an average of 33.00 and a strike rate of 133.48. She hit five half-centuries in 21 innings during the year, including one in the final of the Women’s Asia Cup in October last year against Sri Lanka.
The off-spinner Deepti Sharma took 29 wickets in the year, the joint third highest of any bowler in the women’s T20Is. Averaging 18.55 with the ball, Deepti also bowled at an economic rate of just over six while also doing his batting duties quite well. She scored 370 runs for the year with the bat in T20Is, averaging 37 while batting at a rate of 136.02.
Young gun Richa Ghosh stood out for India in the format with a pass rate of over 150 for the year. In 18 matches, the wicket-keeper batsman scored 259 runs, hit 13 sixes with the bat and showed incredible flair from down the ranks.
Sophie Devine again dominated the league with 389 runs and 13 wickets during the year. At the Commonwealth Games, the New Zealand batsman scored a half-century against two of the top teams, Australia and England.
Beth Mooney only competed in 14 T20Is in 2022, but she was at the top of her game, averaging 56.12 and striking runs at a rate of 134.43. Mooney extended her momentum to the India series, hitting two half-centuries at the start of the bilaterals in subcontinental conditions. Mooney was the top scorer for the Australians against India in the Commonwealth Games final in Birmingham where her team won the gold. Mooney had 61 from 41 balls.
ICC Women’s T20I Team of the Year: Smriti Mandhana (India), Beth Mooney (Australia), Sophie Devine (c) (New Zealand), Ash Gardner (Australia), Tahila McGrath (Australia), Nida Dar (Pakistan), Deepti Sharma (India), Richa Ghosh ( India ), Sophie Ecclestone (England) and Inoka Ranaweera (Sri Lanka).
Featured video of the day
The Great Indian Wrestling Crisis
Topics mentioned in this article
