Smriti Mandhana wins ICC women's Cricketer of the Year
Dubai(PTI): India's swashbuckling opener Smriti Mandhana was on Monday named the ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year for her incredible run of form across all formats in 2021.
Mandhana was short-listed for the top award -- the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy -- along with Tammy Beaumont of England, Lizelle Lee of South Africa and Gaby Lewis of Ireland, the ICC said in a statement.
Despite India enduring a difficult 2021, Mandhana's stock continued to rise this year.
In the limited-overs series against South Africa where India won just two of the eight matches at home, Mandhana played a major role in both of the wins. She made 80 not out as India chased down 158 in the second ODI that helped them level the series and scored 48 not out in the win in the final T20I.
The 25-year-old played a sublime innings of 78 in the first innings of the one-off Test against England that ended in a draw. She played an important knock of 49 in India's only win in the ODI series.
Her 15-ball 29 and fifty in the T20I series went in vain though as India fell short in both the matches and lost the series 2-1. The Southpaw was in good touch in the series against Australia, starting with the ODI series where she scored 86 in the second ODI.
She compiled a brilliant century in the only Test (the first of her career), and was awarded the Player of the Match. She scored her second T20I fifty of the year in the final T20I, though India fell short and lost the series 2-0.
Mandhana made India's first-ever pink-ball Test even more memorable by smashing her maiden century in the longest format.
A year to remember 🤩
— ICC (@ICC) January 24, 2022
Smriti Mandhana's quality at the top of the order was on full display in 2021 🏏
More on her exploits 👉 https://t.co/QI8Blxf0O5 pic.twitter.com/3jRjuzIxiT
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Malegaon blast case: After repeated warnings, Pragya appears before court to record statement
Mumbai, Apr 25: BJP's Bhopal MP Pragya Singh Thakur, who is an accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case, on Thursday finally appeared before a special court here to record her final statement in connection with the case.
On several occasions in the past, Thakur had failed to appear before the court on the grounds of medical illness. This prompted the special court to issue a warning, saying if Thakur fails to appear before it on April 25, then she would face action.
On Thursday, Thakur appeared before the special court hearing cases probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), but claimed she was still unwell.
Thakur submitted to the court her statement in a question-answer format. She also filed an application seeking permission to put her thumb impression on the statement as she was unable to sign the paper due to sudden loss of strength in her palms.
The court permitted the same.
Thakur, along with six others, is facing trial in the case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Explosive Substances Act, Indian Arms Act, and Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).
The court is currently recording the statements of the accused under Section 313 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). These are final statements of the accused before final arguments are made and the case is closed for judgment.
Special court judge A K Lahoti posted the matter for further recording of the statement on Friday.
Six people were killed and over 100 injured when an explosive device strapped on a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Malegaon, a town about 200 km from Mumbai in Nashik district of north Maharashtra, on September 29, 2008.
The case was initially probed by Maharashtra's Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) before being transferred to National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Last month, after she failed to appear before it, the special court had issued a bailable warrant against Thakur. She later personally appeared before the court, following which the warrant was cancelled.
The court in the past had warned Thakur of action when she failed to appear before it to record her statement.
