Mumbai Indians all-rounder wins ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year 2024
New Zealand all-rounder Amelia Kerr has been adjudged ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year 2024 for her stellar year across formats. The 24-year-old played a huge role in the White Ferns' historic 2024 T20 World Cup triumph in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) while also playing a key role in ODI fixtures.
Amelia Kerr was nominated for the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year alongside Laura Wolvaardt, Chamari Aththapathu, and Annabel Sutherland. She was also recently selected in the ICC Women's ODI Team of the Year 2024.
"Kerr was outstanding in all three facets of the game throughout the year, setting the standard for world-class all-rounders. Her brilliance in the field lifted New Zealand time and again, and she was one of the most dangerous leg-spinners in the world, acting as the White Ferns’ go-to strike bowler," ICC's statement read
"Kerr’s all-round brilliance deservedly earned her the Player of the Match award in the final, capping off a remarkable year of individual excellence," the statement continued
Her presence in the middle order and leg-spin prowess provided New Zealand with immense luxury. For her all-around efforts, she was the player of the tournament in the 2024 Women's T20 World Cup and the player of the match in the final against South Africa.
Her tally of 15 wickets throughout the tournament is also the highest recorded by a bowler in a single edition of the Women's T20 World Cup.
Kerr becomes the first New Zealand player to be conferred with the award, since its inception in 2017.
ICC Award winner Amelia Kerr picked up 43 wickets in total and scored 651 runs in 2024
The majority of the star all-rounder's exploits came in the shortest format, considering it was a World Cup year. She scored 387 runs at an average of 24.18 and took 29 wickets in 18 matches, which is now a new national record, beating Leigh Kasperek's record of 27, achieved in 2018.
As far as the 50-over format is concerned, Kerr scored 264 runs at an average of 33 and bagged 14 wickets, including a four-ger in her final appearance of the year. She finished with figures of 4-54 in the third ODI against Australia in Wellington on December 23.
The Mumbai Indians (MI) recently retained the all-rounder ahead of the third edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL), which is scheduled to begin on February 14.