Laura Wolvaardt Leads ICC Women's Player of the Month Nominees

South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt leads the shortlist for the ICC Women's Player of the Month award after scoring 138 runs in ODIs and 330 runs in T20Is in April. Sri Lanka opener Imesha Dulani is nominated after being named Player of the Series in a 2-1 ODI win over Bangladesh and scoring 82 runs in T20Is. Brazil all-rounder Laura Cardosa earned her nomination with 203 runs and 17 wickets in T20Is, including record figures of 9 for 4 against Lesotho. Wolvaardt's standout performance was a 115-ball 53 against India, guiding South Africa to a nine-wicket victory.

Key Points: Wolvaardt, Dulani, Cardosa in ICC Player of the Month Race

  • Laura Wolvaardt scored 138 runs in ODIs and 330 runs in T20Is in April
  • Imesha Dulani was Player of the Series in Sri Lanka's 2-1 ODI win over Bangladesh
  • Laura Cardosa took 9 wickets for 4 runs against Lesotho, a T20I record
  • Wolvaardt's 115 off 53 balls against India was the standout performance
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Wolvaardt leads ICC Women's Player of the Month shortlist

South Africa's Laura Wolvaardt, Sri Lanka's Imesha Dulani, and Brazil's Laura Cardosa are nominated for the ICC Women's Player of the Month for April.

"Her crowning moment in the month of April was in the third T20I against India, when she smashed 115 off 53 balls - ICC"

Dubai, May 8

South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt, Sri Lanka batter Imesha Dulani and Brazil all-rounder Laura Cardosa are the nominees for the ICC Women's Player of the Month honour.

Wolvaardt, who recently won two awards in the space of three months, is in line once again after fine performances in an ODI series against New Zealand and a T20I series versus India.

Dulani stood out on an ODI and T20I tour of Bangladesh, while Cardosa came into reckoning after a purple patch that saw her become the first player ever to take nine wickets in a T20I.

The South Africa captain scored 138 runs in two ODIs at an average of 69.00, including back-to-back innings of 69 against New Zealand. She then carried that momentum into the T20I leg, piling up 330 runs in five matches at an average of 82.50 and a strike rate of 168.36.

Her crowning moment in the month of April was in the third T20I against India, when she smashed 115 off 53 balls to guide South Africa to a nine-wicket victory chasing down 192. Her knock was laced with 14 fours and five sixes, striking at 216.98 as she took charge for the Proteas.

The Sri Lanka opener Dulani was named the Player of the Series in a 2-1 win over Bangladesh in their ICC Women's Championship series for scoring 116 runs. She followed it with 82 runs in two T20Is including a brisk 55 off 40 balls in the first match of the series.

She also made her presence felt in the T20I series, adding 82 runs in two matches, including a well-compiled 55 in the opening game, which Sri Lanka won by 25 runs.

Brazil's Laura had a memorable run in T20Is that saw her score 203 runs at a strike-rate of over 130 in seven matches which included half-centuries against Botswana and Zambia. She finished with 17 wickets at an economy rate of just 2.24, recording astonishing figures of nine for four against Lesotho.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

A
Arjun K
Imesha Dulani is an exciting talent from Sri Lanka. Her consistency against Bangladesh shows the depth in women's cricket now. Great to see Asian players getting recognition! Though I wish our Indian girls had someone in this list too. They've been doing well in patches.
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Rohit P
Laura Cardosa taking 9 wickets for 4 runs is absolutely insane! 😱 That's not just good bowling, that's destruction level stuff. Brazil producing cricketers at this level is fantastic for the global game. Cricket is truly spreading beyond the traditional nations. Great to see!
V
Vikram M
Honest opinion: While Wolvaardt is phenomenal, I feel the shortlist is a bit South Africa-heavy in terms of narrative. Dulani's contribution to Sri Lanka's series win against Bangladesh is equally impressive. And Cardosa's stats are beyond belief for an Associate nation player. All three deserving but the voting should be interesting!
S
Sarah B
As someone who follows women's cricket closely, Wolvaardt is just on another level right now. Her strike rotation and power game have both improved massively. The way she dismantled India's bowling in that third T20I was textbook. Tough competition for the other nominees though!

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