Indian women's cricket team's standout all-rounder Deepti Sharma secured the ICC Women's Player of the Month award for December 2023. She faced competition from her teammate Jemimah Rodrigues and Zimbabwe's 41-year-old spinner, Precious Marange. Deepti emerged victorious among the nominees, claiming her first-ever ICC Player of the Month award.
The 26-year-old delivered an outstanding all-round performance during the home series. In December, India hosted one-off Test matches against England and Australia, followed by a three-match ODI and T20I series against Australia. Deepti played a key role throughout the series, making significant contributions with both bat and ball.
In the 347-run victory against England in December, she played a crucial part by scoring 67 runs in the first innings. She also showcased her bowling prowess with a remarkable five-wicket haul, registering figures of 5/7 against England.
Deepti's outstanding spin bowling resulted in her claiming an additional 4/32, concluding with impressive match figures of 9/39. This performance stands as the second-best by an Indian women's cricketer in the format, following the legendary Jhulan Goswami's 10-wicket haul against England. Her all-round excellence played a crucial role in India's dominant comeback in whites after a two-year hiatus.
In India's historic Test victory against Australia, Deepti once again showcased her batting prowess. She scored 73 runs from 121 deliveries, contributing significantly to India's substantial total of 406 runs. This win marked India's first-ever Test victory against Australia, securing an eight-wicket triumph over the visitors.
Despite India's 3-0 loss in the ODI series and a 2-1 defeat in the T20I series against Australia, Deepti’s performances were exceptional throughout. In the second ODI, she claimed her second five-wicket haul, concluding with match figures of five for 38 runs.
Deepti made history as the first Indian female bowler to secure a five-wicket haul against Australia in ODIs. In the second T20I, she achieved a remarkable milestone, becoming the first Indian women's cricketer to score 1,000 runs and pick 100 wickets in T20Is.
In an official statement, the all-rounder expressed gratitude for being honoured with this prestigious award.
"It's an honour to be voted the ICC Women's Player of the Month for December. I feel very good about my game at the moment, and I'm glad that reflected in my performances for India last month against strong opponents. I'll continue to work hard so that I can have more moments like this in the future," Deepti said.
(Powered by AI, Inputs by India Today)
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