The ICC Awards 2022 season is here and for the category of the ‘ICC Women’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year’ Award, we have quite a distinguished list of players as nominees.
Renuka Singh Thakur
Quite deservingly making the list of nominees, Renuka Singh Thakur has quite the year to remember. Her ability to swing the ball and make most of the surfaces, she really showed why she was not a flash in the pan and is an integral cog in India’s bowling line-up. Scalping 18 wickets with an economy of 4.42 in ODIs and 22 wickets in T20Is with an economy of 6.50, Renuka set the bar high with her performances. Claiming 40 wickets cumulatively in her debut year is something unimaginable but she has done it. What is remarkable is in ODIs, she did so with an average of 14.88 and most of her wickets came against the mighty England team. Even in the encounters versus Australia, she was phenomenal. Her good vein of form extended through the Asia Cup and the Commonwealth games as she pocketed 17 wickets from 11 matches. Her presence in the bowling attack is crucial and the Indian team will be banking on her to deliver.
Alice Capsey
The young 17-year-old Alice Capsey is next on the list as she sent shockwaves with her remarkable performances and grit. Having scored 80 runs in ODIs and 234 runs in T20Is with a strike rate of 127.86 while also pocketing a wicket, she has had a fantastic start to her international career on the back of some good domestic performances. Her career got off to the best possible start when she raked 119 runs in just her first three outings in T20Is. Her good run of form was seen in the Commonwealth Games and subsequently in the series versus India. Her approach to batting will be integral for England and her wily off-spin makes her an asset to the set-up. She also achieved the feat of being the youngest teenager to hit a half-century and will be looking to make the most of opportunities. What was unforgettable was how she sported a black eye through the Commonwealth Games and still displayed remarkable character and strength while performing so well.
Darcie Brown
Darcie Brown is another star of this decorated list of nominees who really shone this year. Registering 2 test wickets besides scalping 10 ODI and 12 T20I wickets at astonishing economy rates of 4.90 and 6.20, she was brilliant. Spearheading the Aussie attack for the better part of the year, she is standing up and taking responsibility every single time the team needs her. Her three-wicket hauls versus India and New Zealand at the ODI World Cup earlier this year were remarkable and she has been consistent with her line and lengths.
Yastika Bhatia
Another youngster on the list who continues to defy her naysayers and critics is Yastika Bhatia. Having piled on 376 ODI runs at 25.06 and 49 T20I runs, she has been consistent in the limited opportunities she has got and is a reliable middle-order batter. Her half-centuries versus Bangladesh and Australia in the lead-up to the ODI World Cup were good knocks that gave us an indicator of things to come and her fifty versus England was another gem of a knock. Perhaps her most memorable performance has to be the partnership with Mithali Raj in the World Cup against Australia that really set her apart.
I am a first year postgraduate student pursuing a MA in Media and Communication Studies at Christ University, Bengaluru. I am a podcaster, blogger and an avid cricket fan. When not glued to cricket matches, you can find me submerged in books and thinking about cricket all the time.