ICC have announced the three-player nominees for their Women’s Player of the Month award for December 2023, which features two Indian stars and Zimbabwe’s iconic 41-year-old wicket-taking machine.

Jemimah Rodrigues (India)

December has given loads of ecstatic moments to Indian Women’s cricket and a major share of the credit goes to India’s 23-year-old all-rounder Jemimiah Rodrigues. Rodrigues showcased her brilliance with the bat across all the formats during India’s clashes against England and Australia.

She recorded multiple pivotal innings, which included an important half-century in India’s one-off test win against England at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, followed by another impressive 73-run knock in the one-off test against Australia. In ODIs, Jemimah recorded a brilliant 82 of 77 against Australia, followed by another 44-run stint in the next match of the series.

Deepti Sharma (India)

Another Indian all-rounder who has been brilliant with both bat and ball has made the three-player shortlist by ICC for December. Deepti’s performance in India’s Test victory against England proved to be pivotal for the team. Deepti finished the England Test with an impressive five-wicket-haul against England and was one of the key moments of the match, making her a strong contender for the ICC’s December Player of the month.

Precious Marange (Zimbabwe)

Zimbabwe’s 41-year-old Precious Marange has surprised the entirety of women’s cricket with her impressive bowling figures during the African Qualifiers for ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. Marange finished the tournament with 13 wickets in her bag, making her the leading wicket-taker of the tournament.

The impressive five-wicket haul of Marange against Uganda in the Final of the African Qualifiers for the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup, is certainly the highlight of an impressive December run for the player. The three nominees for the award have all recorded some impressive numbers, making the choice for the top name a tight and difficult one for ICC.