Shefali Verma Chosen as ICC Player of the Month
Shefali Verma’s Stellar Performance in the Women’s World Cup
Indian opening batter Shefali Verma has been awarded the prestigious ICC Player of the Month for November, after her magnificent performance in the Women's World Cup final last month against South Africa. Shefali, who began her World Cup campaign in the semi-final after Pratika Rawal’s injury, scored 87 runs off 78 balls in the final, leading India to victory.
This was the highest score by an Indian opening batter in a Women's World Cup final. Thanks to Shefali’s brilliant knock, India posted a total of 298 runs for seven wickets in the final, played in Navi Mumbai. India then won the match by 52 runs, securing their first-ever Women’s World Cup title.
Shefali’s Key Contributions
Shefali formed a crucial 104-run partnership with Smriti Mandhana for the first wicket, laying the foundation for a big total. This 21-year-old batter beat Thailand's Thepacha Puthavong and UAE's Isha Oza to win her first 'Player of the Month' award.
Shefali expressed her joy, saying, "My first experience in the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup didn't go as I had hoped, but it ended far better than I could have imagined. I am grateful that I was able to contribute to the team’s success in the final and be a part of history by winning the World Cup in front of home audiences."
Harmar Wins Men’s Player of the Month
Meanwhile, South Africa’s spinner Simon Harmar won the Men's Player of the Month award for his outstanding performance in the Test series against India. Harmar's brilliant bowling helped South Africa win their first Test series in India in 25 years.
Harmar claimed 17 wickets in two matches, leading his team to a 2-0 series win. He beat Bangladesh’s Taijul Islam and Pakistan’s Mohammad Nawaz to win the award for the first time in his career.