ICC announce Women’s Associate Cricketer of the Year 2024

The ICC has named Esha Oza, the captain of the United Arab Emirates women’s cricket team, as the Women’s Associate Cricketer of the Year for 2024. Oza’s all-round performances made her a standout player in international cricket last year.  

Oza shone with both bat and ball throughout 2024, helping her team achieve significant milestones. She started the year by leading the UAE to victory in the Asian Cricket Council Women’s Premier Cup, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer and earning the Player of the Tournament award.  

Her success continued in the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier, where she played a crucial role in the UAE’s progress to the knockout stages. A highlight was her unbeaten 66 from just 39 balls against the Netherlands, which secured the UAE’s place in the top two of Group B. In the semi-final, Oza fought hard with a 66-run knock off 44 balls against Sri Lanka, nearly pulling off a major upset.  

Oza’s performance in 2024 was remarkable, with 711 runs and 16 wickets in 20 T20I matches. Her batting was especially impressive, with an average of 41.82 and a strike rate of 111.79. She was one of the top run-scorers in the world, only behind Chamari Athapaththu (720) and Smriti Mandhana (763).  

One of her most memorable performances came in the Asian Cricket Council Women’s Premier Cup against Oman. Opening the innings, Oza smashed 114* off 69 balls, hitting 16 boundaries. Her knock helped the UAE post a total of 176/1, leading to a massive 148-run victory.