It’s that time of the year when all the cricketers who have excelled in the sport and delivered outstanding performances in the previous year are rewarded with different categories of awards from the International Cricket Council (ICC).
In this article, we will have a look at Associate Player of the Year 2024. It’s none other than the 27-year-old all-rounder and the United Arab Emirates skipper Esha Oza who has been named as the Associate Cricketer of the Year 2024. She has scripted history as she becomes the only woman cricketer to claim the prestigious honor of being the Associate Cricketer of the Year twice. She was first honored with the award in the year 2022.
She was the stand-out performer for her side, as she ended the year 2024 as the leading run-scorer for her side and the 3rd highest run-scorer in the format with 711 runs at an impressive strike rate of 111.79 and a sensational average of 41.82 in 20 innings with the bat for her side in the T20I format for the United Arab Emirates (UAE). She smashed four half-centuries and a century in the format in 2024.
Her best performance with the bat for her side in the format in 2024 came on 11th February 2024 against Oman in the 10th match of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Women’s Premier Cup when she scored an unbeaten century (114* off 69 balls) at Royal Selangor Club, Kuala Lumpur with an impressive strike rate of 165.21, playing a crucial role in helping her side post an imposing total on the board. She was also awarded the Player of the Match for her all-round contributions for her side.
Besides her exploits with the bat, she was also led from the front with the ball as she was the 4th highest wicket-taker for her side with 16 wickets at an impressive average of 19.68 and an economy of 5.41 in 19 innings with the ball for UAE in the T20I format in 2024. Her best performance with the ball for her side in the format in 2024, came on 25th April 2024 against Ireland in the 2nd match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier. She returned with sensational match figures of 4-0-13-3 in her spell at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi. However, it, unfortunately, came in a losing cause for her side.
She continued to display her excellent leadership traits guiding her side to a brilliant 65%-win percentage in the T20I format in 2024. One of the highlights of the year 2024 for UAE in the format was their title triumph in the ACC Women’s Premier Cup in Malaysia. She led her side to an unbeaten run in the tournament.
She was the leading run-scorer of the tournament with 249 runs at a strike rate of 109.21 and a superb average of 62.25 in six innings with the bat for UAE in the tournament. Her tally of runs included a half-century and a century. She also picked up a couple of wickets with the ball in 6 innings for UAE in the tournament. As a result of her outstanding performances, she was also named the Player of the Tournament.
Esha Oza continues to outshine others at the Associate level and is a prominent contributor to the United Arab Emirates’s success at the international level.
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