India batters Suryakumar Yadav, Smriti Mandhana nominated for ICC T20 Cricketer of the Year award

Ace India batters Suryakumar Yadav and Smriti Mandhana were on Thursday (29) nominated by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for its men's and women's T20 Cricketer of the Year awards, respectively.

Suryakumar, who was recently elevated as India's T20 vice captain, was nominated along with Zimbabwe all-rounder Sikandar Raza, England all-rounder Curran, and Pakistan wicket-keeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan.

The India batter had a sensational 2022 in the T20s, becoming just the second to score more than 1,000 runs in the format in a year. He finished the year as the highest run-getter, accumulating 1164 runs at a strike-rate of 187.43. Also his tally of 68 sixes in the T20s in the calendar year is the highest by a distance.

In the T20 World Cup held in Australia in October-November, Suryakumar scored three fifties in six innings, averaging nearly 60 and going at a strike-rate of over 189.

In the women's category, New Zealand all-rounder Sophie Devine; Australia all-rounder Tahlia McGrath; and Pakistan all-rounder Nida Dar were nominated alongwith Mandhana, an opening batter.

Mandhana belted 594 runs in 23 matches this year and broke the record for the fastest fifty by an India woman (off just 23 balls) to breaching the 2,500-run mark in T20s.

She left her mark on the Commonwealth Games, the T20 Asia Cup and a memorable five-match home series against Australia during the year.