Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma In ICC Women's ODI Team Of The Year, No Indian In Men's Side

Star batter Smriti Mandhana and all-rounder Deepti Sharma were on Friday named in the ICC women's ODI Team of the Year 2024 but none of their male counterparts found a place in the men's side that was dominated by Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The women's all-star team has three players from England, two Australians, two South Africans and one each from Sri Lanka and West Indies, besides the two Indians. The 28-year-old Mandhana accumulated 747 runs in 13 matches to be the highest run-scorer in women's ODIs in 2024. She is also in the running for the ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year 2024 award.

She began her year with a run-a-ball 29 against Australia in January, but had to wait six months for her next ODIs, a home series against South Africa.

When she returned, Mandhana was in sublime form, beginning with back-to-back centuries in the first two ODIs against the Proteas. She narrowly missed a third consecutive ton, falling for 90, though her remarkable tally of 343 runs in the series earned her the Player-of-the-Series award.

Mandhana had a shaky start in the first two ODIs against New Zealand in October, but ended the series on a high note with a brilliant century in the final match. With this hundred, Mandhana became the most prolific century-maker for India in the Women's 50-over format.

A similar story unfolded during the away series against Australia, where she capped off in style with a century at the WACA. She came close to back-to-back centuries in the opening ODI against West Indies but fell agonisingly short in the nervous nineties once again. Mandhana wrapped up the series with two half-centuries.

Deepti scored 186 runs and took 24 wickets in 13 matches in an all-round show in 2024.

She began the