ICC announces women's Player of the Month for August 2024

Sri Lanka's Harshitha Madavi has been named the ICC Women's Player of the Month for August 2024, after beating out competition from Ireland's Orla Prendergast and Gaby Lewis. The talented left-handed batter has been in excellent form recently and continued her impressive performances during Sri Lanka’s tour of Ireland.

Madavi’s win marks a significant achievement for Sri Lankan cricket, as she becomes the third Sri Lankan woman to win the award in 2024. This success follows Chamari Athapaththu’s victories in both May and July. Additionally, Madavi’s victory comes alongside Dunith Wellalage, who won the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for August, making it a double celebration for Sri Lanka.

The 26-year-old dominated in both the ODI and T20I series against Ireland, showcasing her consistency and power at the top of the order. Coming off a superb unbeaten 69* in the Women's Asia Cup final against India at the end of July, Madavi carried her form into the T20I series in Dublin. She scored 86*, a career-best performance, and followed it up with 65 in the second game, making her the top scorer across both teams.

Her success didn’t stop there. In the three-match ODI series, Madavi registered scores of 19, 105, and 48*, finishing as the leading run-scorer once again. Her century in the second ODI made her just the third Sri Lankan woman to score an ODI hundred, joining Chamari Athapaththu and Vishmi Gunaratne in this remarkable feat.

Madavi expressed her joy upon receiving the award, saying, "I am extremely happy with this recognition, which I consider a new high in my career. It certainly gives me a lot of confidence ahead of the big competition, the Women's T20 World Cup.

"This achievement would not have been possible without the incredible support network around me—my teammates, coaches, parents, my sister, brother, friends, and mentors. I take this opportunity to thank them all.

"I also wish to commend the players who were nominated alongside me for the Player of the Month award. They are immensely talented, and I loved competing with such quality."

Madavi’s win continues Sri Lanka’s strong run in international women’s cricket, with three of the last four Player of the Month awards going to Sri Lankan players. As the Women’s T20 World Cup approaches, Madavi’s form will be key to her team's success.