Bumrah best men's player, Smriti bags women's title

Talismanic pacer Jasprit Bumrah was chosen for the BCCI's Polly Umrigar Award for Best International Cricketer 2023-24 in men's category while elegant batter Smriti Mandhana was picked for the corresponding women's trophy in the Board's annual honours that will be presented here on Saturday.

- Agencies

MUMBAI: Talismanic pacer Jasprit Bumrah was chosen for the BCCI's Polly Umrigar Award for Best International Cricketer 2023-24 in men's category while elegant batter Smriti Mandhana was picked for the corresponding women's trophy in the Board's annual honours that will be presented here on Saturday.

Bumrah, who was selected as the ICC Test and overall Cricketer of the Year for delivering a "master-class in skill, precision, and relentless consistency", was India's standout bowler last year, playing a pivotal role in India's home wins over England and Bangladesh.

The 31-year-old was also the Player of the Series against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, bagging 32 wickets across five Tests.

Mandhana, who was the ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year, made 743 runs in the 2024 calendar year.

She scored four ODI centuries, a record in the women's game, and found the boundary more than a hundred times in the year, hitting 95 fours and six maximums.

The 28-year-old cricketer's ODI runs came at an average of 57.86 and an impressive strike rate of 95.15.