ICC Women's Player of the Month nominees for July 2024 announced

The ICC has announced the three standout performers for the Women's Player of the Month award for July 2024. 

Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka)

Chamari Athapaththu, a key figure in Sri Lankan cricket, led her team to a historic victory in the Women’s Asia Cup 2024, defeating seven-time champions India. Under her captaincy, Sri Lanka has achieved significant milestones over the past year, including first-ever T20I series wins against England and South Africa and securing a spot in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024.

Athapaththu was instrumental in Sri Lanka's unbeaten Asia Cup run. After a modest start with 12 runs against Bangladesh, she made a stunning comeback with a career-best 119* against Malaysia. She continued her stellar performance with an unbeaten 49* against Thailand and crucial fifties against Pakistan (63) and India (61) in the semi-final and final, respectively. 

Her total of 304 runs at a strike rate of 146.85, coupled with her contributions with the ball, earned her a spot among the top contenders for the Player of the Month award. Already a two-time winner, Athapaththu is now eyeing her third ICC Women’s Player of the Month title.

Smriti Mandhana (India)

Smriti Mandhana is nominated for the second consecutive month after winning the award in June 2024. Her remarkable form continued into July, starting with a career-best 149 in the one-off Test against South Africa. Mandhana, along with Shafali Verma, set a record-breaking 292-run partnership for the first wicket in Women’s Tests, leading India to a commanding victory.

Mandhana's consistency was evident in the T20I series against South Africa, where she scored 100 runs in two innings, including an unbeaten 54* in the final match that helped India level the series. In the Asia Cup, she amassed 173 runs and was the top-scorer for India in the final, contributing 60 runs from 47 balls. Overall, Mandhana scored 273 runs at an average of 68.25 and a strike rate of 139.28 in T20Is for July.

Shafali Verma (India)

Shafali Verma, another key player for India, is the third nominee for July. She amassed 229 runs in Tests and 245 runs in T20Is during the month. Verma's standout performance came during her record-setting opening stand with Mandhana, where she became the second Indian woman to score a double century in Tests, achieving this milestone in just 194 balls. Her score of 205 helped India post a record total of 603/6.

Verma also contributed significantly in the T20I series against South Africa and continued her impressive form in the Asia Cup. She was the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament with 200 runs at a strike rate of 140.84. Notable performances included a quickfire 40 against Pakistan and a career-best 81 from 48 balls against Nepal.