ICC adds Smriti Mandhana to its “100 per cent Cricket Superstars” list

Dubai: India women’s team vice-captain Smriti Mandhana has joined young opener Shafali Verma in the International Cricket Council’s “100 per cent Cricket Superstars” list released on Friday.

Shafali Verma, England’s Sophie Ecclestone, New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr, West Indies’ Hayley Matthews and South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt were the first crop of what will ultimately be a “100 per cent Cricket Superstars” squad that fans can pick from to decide on a final XI.

On Friday, the ICC added five more players who are part of the initiative — Mandhana, Fatima Sana (Pakistan), Ashleigh Gardner (Australia), Sophia Dunkley (England), and Gaby Lewis (Ireland).

Mandhana, 26, is close to completing a decade in international cricket. She has established herself as one of the most complete all-format players around the globe. Her record speaks for itself, combining aggression at the top of the order along with a heavy penchant for scoring some big runs.

Mandhana has played 74 ODIs, aggregating 2,892 runs at an average of 42.52, with five centuries and 23 fifties. In T20I cricket, she has 2,192 runs in 92 games, with 16 half-centuries to her name. Mandhana has also played four Tests and has one century and two fifties in the format.

Mandhana has also emerged as a leader in Indian women’s cricket, as it moves on from the era of Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami.

Her consistency has seen her being named the 2021 ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year while being ranked 10th and fourth in the ICC Women’s Player Rankings for batters in ODIs and T20Is respectively.