The ICC has unveiled its Women’s Player of the Month nominees for April 2026, spotlighting three standout performers from South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Brazil following exceptional displays across formats. Sri Lankan top-order batter Imesha Dulani, South African skipper Laura Wolvaardt, and Brazil’s promising young all-rounder and skipper Laura Cardoso are in the running after powering their teams to key victories amid packed schedules.
This comes hot on the heels of New Zealand skipper Amelia Kerr clinching the March award, as the cricket world ramps up for the expanded 10th edition of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, hosted by England and Wales from June 12 to July 5. Now a 12-team affair, up from 10, with Group 1 featuring Australia, South Africa, Bangladesh, the Netherlands, India, and Pakistan, and Group 2 including England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ireland, the West Indies, and Scotland, these nominees have boosted their sides’ momentum.
Laura Wolvaardt: South Africa’s Record-Breaking Captain
South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt dominated April, blending leadership with explosive batting in a white-ball series against India. She kicked off with 138 runs in two ODIs against New Zealand at an average of 69.00, including back-to-back scores of 69. Momentum carried into the five-match T20I series against India (April 17-27), where South Africa triumphed 4-1. Wolvaardt amassed a record 330 runs in five innings at an average of 82.50 and a strike rate of 168.36, including three half-centuries and a century, surpassing West Indies skipper Hayley Matthews’ record of 310 runs in a three-match bilateral Women’s T20I series.
Her pinnacle arrived in the third T20I on April 22 at Johannesburg’s Wanderers Stadium, smashing an unbeaten 115 off 53 balls (14 fours, five sixes, strike rate 216.98) to chase 192 in a nine-wicket rout. South Africa also won the first T20I by six wickets and the second by eight; India snatched the fourth by 14 runs at Wanderers on April 25, but fell in the fifth by 23 runs at Benoni’s Willowmoore Park on April 27. Wolvaardt’s Player of the Series haul puts the Proteas in a solid position, placed in Group 1 heading into the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026.
Imesha Dulani: Sri Lanka’s Top-Order Anchor
Sri Lankan opener Imesha Dulani proved indispensable during her side’s white-ball tour of Bangladesh (April 20-May 2), led by skipper Chamari Athapaththu. Sri Lanka edged the three-match ODI series 2-1, with Dulani piling up 116 runs in three innings at an average of 38.66, including two half-centuries. As the third-highest run-scorer, she earned Player of the Series honours.
Dulani carried her form into the T20I leg, adding 82 runs in two matches, highlighted by a composed 55 in the opener that set up a 25-run win en route to a 3-0 whitewash. Her consistency has fortified Sri Lanka’s Group 2 preparations for the T20 World Cup, blending stability with flair at the top.
Laura Cardoso: Brazil’s Record-Shattering All-Rounder
Brazil’s Laura Cardoso lit up the BCA Kalahari Women’s T20 International Tournament 2026 (April 6-11), leading her unbeaten side to an eight-match rampage and the title. The young skipper topped the run charts with 203 runs in seven matches (six innings) at an average of 50.75 and strike rate of 130.12, including half-centuries against Botswana and Zambia.
With the ball as well, she topped the charts, claiming 17 wickets in six innings at an average of 2.00 and an economy of 2.24. Her month peaked on April 9 against Lesotho: match figures of 3-2-4-9 in three overs, the best in Women’s T20I history. Cardoso snared a hat-trick in the second over, added four in the fourth (reaching seven), and two more in the sixth for nine total, fueling Brazil’s 189-run demolition. Player of the Match accolades followed, marking her as a global breakout star.
These nominees embody the depth and excitement in women’s cricket as the T20 World Cup looms.
I am Yash Tailor, and I believe work should be driven by passion. Therefore, after completing my Engineering, I chose to work in the Cricket industry, my passion. My goal is to reach a stage where I truly enjoy what I do and give my best to every task with energy and purpose.