India's Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma nominated for ICC Women's Player of the Month Award for December 2023
Jan 08, 2024
Dubai [UAE], January 8 : India's star batter Jemimah Rodrigues and all-rounder Deepti Sharma are among the stars nominated for the ICC Women's Player of the Month Award for December 2023, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Monday.
"Two Indians and a 41-year-old Zimbabwe player have been shortlisted for the ICC Women's Player of the Month Award for December 2023," ICC announced in an official statement.
An impressive month for Jemimah Rodrigues saw her shine across formats for India. The right-hander slammed fifties in India's Test triumphs in the month over England and Australia.
India's star batter Rodrigues exhibited superb versatility in December, producing impressive batting displays in all formats of the game. A modest start to the month in T20Is was followed by classy first-innings knocks of 70-plus in India's two Test victories over England and Australia. Rodrigues also continued her run-scoring spell in the subsequent ODI encounters against the Australians, hitting 82 and 44 in the first two matches to end the month having averaged over 60 in Tests and ODIs in December.
India's veteran all-rounder Deepti Sharma was also a key performer in India's Test and ODI outings during December. The Test victory over England was a particular highlight for Sharma, striking 67 and 20 with the bat as well as taking nine opposition wickets.
She then top-scored for India in the following Test success against Australia before also outlining her ODI strengths, which included five for 38 in the second match as India fell agonizingly short.
Zimbabwe's veteran bowler Precious Marange enjoyed a career-defining series of performances in December as her side secured safe passage from the Women's T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier. Two wickets in their opening match against Kenya was followed by a wicket-less performance against Botswana.
Marange then stepped up, with three successive Player of the Match showings, taking three for 13 against Tanzania, then three for nine against Namibia before her crowning glory - five for seven in the final against Uganda to restrict them to 79 all out, which included a 19th over hattrick.
