Harshitha Samarawickrama Named ICC Women’s Player of the Month for August 2024
Sri Lanka’s Harshitha Samarawickrama has been named the ICC Women’s Player of the Month for August 2024, marking a significant achievement in her burgeoning cricket career. The left-handed top-order batter stood out with her remarkable performances against Ireland, earning her the prestigious accolade.
Samarawickrama’s recognition comes on the back of an exceptional series of performances, including a crucial role in Sri Lanka’s historic victory in the Asia Cup. The 21-year-old made headlines with an unbeaten 69* in the Asia Cup final against India, earning the Player of the Match award and leading her team to their first-ever Asia Cup title.
In August, Samarawickrama continued her stellar form in the series against Ireland. In the T20I series, she scored a career-best unbeaten 86* in the first match and followed it up with a solid 65 in the second, finishing as the highest run-scorer with 151 runs. Her impact extended to the ODI series, where despite a modest start, she bounced back with a career-best 105 in the second ODI. This century made her only the third Sri Lankan woman to achieve an ODI ton, following Chamari Athapaththu and Vishmi Gunaratne. She ended the series as the top run-scorer with 172 runs, including an unbeaten 48 in the final match.
Samarawickrama’s achievement is part of a broader trend of Sri Lankan success in recent months. Her victory follows Chamari Athapaththu’s wins in May and July, marking the fifth instance of two players from the same country winning the Player of the Month award consecutively. With her win, Sri Lanka has become the second country to secure Player of the Month awards in both the men’s and women’s categories this year, alongside Dunith Wellalage, who won the men’s award for August 2024.
Expressing her joy, Samarawickrama said, “I am extremely happy with this recognition, which I consider a new high in my career. It certainly gives me a lot of confidence ahead of the big competition, the Women’s T20 World Cup. This achievement would not have been possible without the incredible support network around me—my teammates, coaches, parents, my sister, brother, friends, and mentors.”
Harshitha Samarawickrama’s stellar performances and this award highlight her as one of the rising stars in women’s cricket, and her continued success will be eagerly anticipated in the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup.