Smriti Mandhana in Contention for ICC’s Prestigious Player of the Month Honor

India’s vice-captain and opener, Smriti Mandhana, has been nominated for the ICC Women’s Player of the Month for October, following her outstanding performances that helped India secure its first-ever Women’s ODI World Cup title. Alongside her in contention for the award are South African captain Laura Wolvaardt and Australian all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner.

Smriti emerged as India’s top scorer and the second highest overall in the tournament, amassing 434 runs across nine matches with a strike rate of 99.08 and an average of 54.25. She surpassed former India captain Mithali Raj’s record for the most runs scored by an Indian in a single World Cup edition, which stood at 409 runs set in 2017.

While Smriti began the tournament quietly, she soon hit her stride with impressive scores of 80 and 88 against Australia and England during the league stage, despite both matches ending in losses. Her standout performance came in a must-win match against New Zealand, where she scored a century and set a record-breaking opening partnership of 212 runs with Pratika Rawal.

In the final against South Africa, Smriti provided an excellent start for India by forming a 104-run opening partnership with Shafali Verma.

Laura Wolvaardt played a pivotal role in guiding South Africa to their first ODI World Cup final, finishing as the tournament’s leading scorer with 571 runs, including two centuries, thus breaking the record for the most runs in a single World Cup edition.

Ashleigh Gardner was instrumental in Australia’s journey to the semifinals, scoring 328 runs and taking seven wickets throughout the competition.

Published on November 6, 2025.