On the 25th of January, the 3rd day of the 18th edition of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Awards reveal saw Australia’s Tahlia McGrath claim the Women’s Twenty20 International (T20I) cricketer of the Year award overtaking India’s Smriti Mandhana, Pakistan’s Nida Dar and New Zealand’s Sophie Devine.
All-rounder, Tahlia McGrath debuted for Australia in One-Day Internationals back in 2016 and nearly a year later, in 2017, wore her first baggy green. A young McGrath failed to cement her place in the Australian team, and cut to 2021, Tahlia McGrath returned to the Australian camp, dominated across formats, and little over a year later, receives the ultimate recognition with the ICC award.
Tahlia McGrath declared winner 🏆 #CricketTwitter #ICCAwards pic.twitter.com/Kix7UwAHnz
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) January 25, 2023
The 27-year-old all-rounder, late in 2021 made her T20I debut, and in the following year, in only 11 innings got to 435 runs at an average of 62.14, a strike rate of 145.00, and registered a career-best score of 91*. With the ball in 10 innings (24 overs), she struck 13 scalps at an economy rate of 6.95, an average of 12.84, a strike rate of 11.0, and registered the best figures of 3/13.
Nominees for ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year 2022 are here
🇮🇳Smriti Mandhana
🇵🇰Nida Dar
🇳🇿Sophie Devine
🇦🇺Tahlia McGrathWho do you think will win this?#CricketTwitter
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) December 29, 2022
Tahlia McGrath in her first T20I of 2022, playing in the Ashes, powered a blistering 49-ball 91* on her home turf and with the ball having registered figures of 3/26, claimed the player of the match award. Her next go with the bat had come in late in July, against Ireland, and she yet again, notched up a brilliant knock, this time a 45-ball 70.
It then was time for the Commonwealth Games and McGrath failed to get going against India in the opener, the same wasn’t the case in her innings to follow. McGrath’s current best with the ball had come against Barbados in the Games as she registered figures of 3/13 off 4 overs. She, in the next game, against Pakistan’s fired a mature 51-ball 78* and again went on to register figures of 3/13, but did so, this time off 3 overs.
In the Games Semi-Final against New Zealand, the eventual Bronze medalists, McGrath played a crucial 23-ball 34 knock and registered figures of 2/30 off 4 overs. A covid positive McGrath, in the final against India, took the field but didn’t create an impact as she scored 2(4) with the bat and leaked 24 runs off 2 overs, but deservingly was present for the occasion as Australia handing India a teasing 9-run defeat, claimed the Gold at Games.
Having failed against India at the Games, in Birmingham, United Kingdom, Tahlia McGrath closed out her year with a 5-match T20I tour of India. In an opening couple of T20I’s, Tahlia registered impressive scores of 29-ball 40* and 51-ball 70*, but couldn’t close out on a high as she then had scores of 1(4), 9(10), and 26(26).
In-store during ICC Awards, on the last day, the 26th of January for Women is the ICC Women’s One-Day International (ODI) cricketer of the year and the Women’s Cricketer of the Year reveal.
