ICC Awards: Women’s Cricketer of the Year 2022 – Two electric quicks and two batting stars make up the four players nominated for the ICC Women’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year award. We take a look at their performances over 2022. Follow ICC Cricketer of the Year 2022 Updates with InsideSport.IN.
ICC Awards: Yashita Bhatia, Renuka Singh in four way race for ICC Women’s Emerging Player award, Darcie Brown, Alice Capsey also in contention- Check out
Renuka Singh – India
18 ODI wickets at 14.88, economy 4.62
22 T20I wickets at 23.95, economy 6.50
The year that was
There is rightfully a buzz surrounding 26-year-old Renuka Singh, who burst into life in a busy 12 months for the India team.
The right-armer claimed 40 wickets for her country in 2022 in just 29 matches across the two white-ball formats, filling the void of the great Jhulan Goswami.
In the ODI game, Renuka was especially potent, claiming 18 wickets at an average of just 14.88, of which eight came in two appearances against England, and seven in India’s series with Sri Lanka.
Renuka was a thorn in the side of Australia’s line-up in the seven T20I meetings across the year, taking eight wickets, and her performances across the Commonwealth Games and Asia Cup show she is no shrinking violet in tournament action. She claimed 17 wickets in 11 matches, at an economy of just 5.21.
Able to swing the ball or find deviation off the surface, Renuka will likely be one of India’s most dependable bowlers in years to come.
Memorable performance
Renuka sent waves through the Commonwealth Games field early in cricket’s return, claiming four wickets against the game’s best top order in a stunning outing.
The swing bowler claimed Alyssa Healy with an outside edge to Deepti Sharma at slip, before a false cut shot from Meg Lanning caught at point. A nip-backer claimed Beth Mooney who chopped on, before Tahlia McGrath was beaten with a hooping in-swinger.
Renuka finished with 4/18 with 16 dot balls, though as Australia stumbled to 34/4, the eventual champions went on to chase down India’s 154.
Darcie Brown – Australia
Two Test wickets at 28.50
10 ODI wickets at 24.50, economy 4.90
12 T20I wickets at 22.83, economy 6.20
The year that was
Tipped to push the speed barriers in the Women’s game, Brown’s potential as Australia spearhead is slowly being realised, as shown by her 24 international wickets in 2022.
Picking up a wicket in each innings of Australia’s thrilling Test match with England, Brown then turned her attention to the ODI series as part of the Women’s Ashes, taking 4/34 to decimate the old foe in Adelaide.
Brown emulated the form at the Cricket World Cup with two three-wicket hauls against New Zealand and India on the way to the team’s trophy-winning campaign.
In the shortest format, Brown was a consistent performer, taking wickets in 10 of her 13 appearances, including all but one of Australia’s Commonwealth Games campaign.
Memorable performance
With Australia making just 205/9 in the first ODI against England, the bowlers needed to respond and they did so in spades.
Teaming up with new-ball partner Megan Schutt who claimed 2/39, Brown claimed opener Tammy Beaumont and Heather Knight in successive deliveries, before claiming Nat Sciver caught and bowled to break a key partnership.
Brown returned to trap Sophie Ecclestone lbw, as Australia held on by 27 runs.
ICC Awards: Yashita Bhatia, Renuka Singh in four way race for ICC Women’s Emerging Player award, Darcie Brown, Alice Capsey also in contention- Check out
Alice Capsey – England
80 ODI runs at 20.00, strike rate 94.11
234 T20I runs at 33.42, strike rate 127.86, one wicket.
The year that was
Making headlines as an England debutant at just 17 years of age, Alice Capsey took to international cricket with aplomb, making 119 runs across her first three T20I outings, at a strike rate well over a run a ball.
Two of those knocks came at the beginning of her team’s home Commonwealth Games campaign, with a half-century from just 37 balls against South Africa to ensure a strong start.
Capsey continued with runs in England’s home T20I series with India, before earning an ODI call-up soon after.
The right-hander’s aggression at the top of the innings will be a hallmark of English cricket for years to come, and her off-spin work will no doubt be employed more as her career goes on.
Memorable performance
Many would be excused to succumb to the pressure of being thrown into the deep end at No.3, at Birmingham 2022 no less, though Capsey showed the cool of a 100-game veteran.
Coming in at 10/1 following the loss of Sophia Dunkley, Capsey hit seven fours and a six to ensure momentum swung in the hosts’ favour. England went on to win by 26 runs.
Capsey became just the second player to hit a half-century for England as a teenager in the performance, joining legend Sarah Taylor.
Yastika Bhatia – India
376 ODI runs at 25.06, strike rate 73.29
49 T20I runs at 12.25, strike rate 80.32
The year that was
A consistent performer in the 50-over game, 22-year-old Bhatia set the platform for India’s middle order throughout 2022 with a number of strong performances.
Bhatia made scores of 41 and 31 in the lead-up to the Cricket World Cup, before strong half-centuries against Australia and Bangladesh.
Bhatia went on to make another fifty in India’s away ODI series against England in Hove, and will no doubt be a name on India’s team sheet for years to come.
Memorable performance
Runs against the all-conquering Aussies is a good barometer for any women’s batter, even more admirable at a global tournament and when you lose two of your teammates early.
Bhatia combined in a 130-run partnership with Mithali Raj at Eden Park, striking six boundaries in a strong rebuild, and taking the team to 158/3 in the 32nd over of play. India went on to post 277, with Bhatia only usurped by her captain as the top-scorer in the innings.
India were pipped at the post by the Aussies, who chased down the total with just three balls to spare.
ICC Awards: Yashita Bhatia, Renuka Singh in four way race for ICC Women’s Emerging Player award, Darcie Brown, Alice Capsey also in contention- Check out
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Editors pick
