Smriti Mandhana named ICC Women's Cricketer for the Year 2021

Smriti Mandhana has won the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Trophy for being the ICC's Women's Cricketer of the Year 2021. She becomes only the second player, after Australia allrounder Ellyse Perry to win the highest individual distinction in the women's overall category of the annual ICC awards more than once. 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. In 2021, since India's return to the field on March 7 following a 364-day absence from the international scene - primarily because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Mandhana scored 855 runs in 22 international matches across three series, at an average of 38.86, hitting one century and five half-centuries along the way. The crowning piece in her run tally was a Player-of-the-Match-winning maiden hundred in the longest format - 127 against Australia at Gold Coast - in what was India's maiden women's day-night Test.

A year to remember

Smriti Mandhana's quality at the top of the order was on full display in 2021

More on her exploits https://t.co/QI8Blxf0O5 pic.twitter.com/3jRjuzIxiT

— ICC (@ICC) January 24, 2022

South Africa batter Lizelle Lee has been named the ICC women's ODI cricketer of the year, following a stellar 2021 in which she ended as the leading run-scorer in the format.The ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year award, instituted in 2006, was named after Rachael Heyhoe-Flint the former England Women's Test cricketer and administrator.