The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the nominees for the Women’s Player of the Month award for May 2023. Among the nominees are two Sri Lankan players, along with a prominent representative from an Associate nation.
Included in the nominations are Sri Lanka’s captain Chamari Athapaththu, talented batter Harshitha Madavi, and Thailand’s rising star Thipatcha Putthawong.
Athapaththu, a well-known figure in the cricket world, showcased her prowess in May by delivering impressive performances in the T20I series against Bangladesh, where she scored consistently and also notched a half-century in an ICC Women’s Championship match against the same opponent.
As the rain affected the majority of the ODI series, batting conditions became much more challenging in Colombo. However, the Sri Lankan skipper demonstrated her exceptional skills by scoring 64 runs off 60 deliveries, including 10 boundaries, helping her team reach a total of 186 runs. The Islanders went on to secure victory in the match, winning by a margin of 58 runs. In the subsequent T20I series, Athapaththu maintained an impressive strike rate of 132, accumulating a total of 103 runs with an average of 34.33.
Harshitha also displayed impressive performance and her achievements in May serve as the latest evidence of her growth. She displayed consistent batting show in the 2-1 T20I series triumph over Bangladesh. Harshitha also played a crucial role in securing important ICC Women’s Championship points by scoring an unbeaten 45* in the third ODI against Bangladesh.
Harshitha shined in the shorter format of the game, as she stood out as the top-scorer with 45 runs in the opening game. In the second match, she showcased composure with an unbeaten 29* to guide her team to victory. Then in the third T20I, Harshitha celebrated an impressive half-century, scoring 51* off 42 deliveries, which significantly contributed to clinching the series win.
Speaking about Putthawong, the talented player from Thailand, continued to make a significant impact in the world of Associate cricket, leading her team to a gold-medal triumph in the South East Asian Games held in Cambodia. Putthawong also emerged as the leading wicket-taker with an astounding performance. She secured a total of 11 wickets while maintaining exceptional economy. She claimed her wickets at an average of just 1.54, conceding a mere 17 runs in 15.3 overs.
Among her standout performances, Putthawong’s best exhibition came against the Philippines when she took an incredible 4/3. It was followed by figures of 3/3 against Malaysia and 3/2 against Myanmar.
This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.
