ESPNcricinfo Awards 2024 Women's debutant nominees: Indian harvest
One country dominates our shortlist with three entries
S Sudarshanan
31-Jan-2025
Georgia Voll converted her first 50-plus score in ODIs into a hundred • Getty Images
Asha Sobhana (India)
ODIs: 4 wickets at 18.50 (2 innings)
T20Is: 9 wickets at 6.39 econ (6 innings)
Years of perseverance on the domestic circuit finally bore fruit for Asha, whose strong showing with her legspin in WPL 2024 for champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru earned her an India berth. She became India's oldest T20I debutant on the tour of Bangladesh in May and was also part of the T20 World Cup later in the year. She made her ODI bow at home against South Africa in June and began on a bright note when she returned figures of 4 for 21, the second-best figures by an Indian woman on ODI debut. Her best performance with the ball in T20Is came in Dubai, where she bamboozled Sri Lanka at the T20 World Cup with 3 for 19. However, she picked up an injury while warming up before India's group game against Australia and did not feature in the home series against West Indies and Ireland.
ODIs: 4 wickets at 18.50 (2 innings)
T20Is: 9 wickets at 6.39 econ (6 innings)
Years of perseverance on the domestic circuit finally bore fruit for Asha, whose strong showing with her legspin in WPL 2024 for champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru earned her an India berth. She became India's oldest T20I debutant on the tour of Bangladesh in May and was also part of the T20 World Cup later in the year. She made her ODI bow at home against South Africa in June and began on a bright note when she returned figures of 4 for 21, the second-best figures by an Indian woman on ODI debut. Her best performance with the ball in T20Is came in Dubai, where she bamboozled Sri Lanka at the T20 World Cup with 3 for 19. However, she picked up an injury while warming up before India's group game against Australia and did not feature in the home series against West Indies and Ireland.
Georgia Adams (England)
T20Is: 39 runs at 125.80 SR (2 innings)
A top-order bat on the England domestic circuit, Adams was long forecast as one who would take the leap to international cricket, but she had to bide her time. She was the top run-scorer in the four-year history of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, the women's 50-over domestic competition that ran from 2020 to 2024. And it was in 2024 that Adams' chance arrived. Close to the start of the T20 World Cup, England were to tour Ireland for a limited-overs series and Adams was among the few uncapped players chosen. She made her T20I debut as the third-oldest England woman to do so, at close to 31 years of age, and batted in the middle order. She hit a 15-ball 23 in the second match, which Ireland went on to clinch in a last-over thriller.
T20Is: 39 runs at 125.80 SR (2 innings)
A top-order bat on the England domestic circuit, Adams was long forecast as one who would take the leap to international cricket, but she had to bide her time. She was the top run-scorer in the four-year history of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, the women's 50-over domestic competition that ran from 2020 to 2024. And it was in 2024 that Adams' chance arrived. Close to the start of the T20 World Cup, England were to tour Ireland for a limited-overs series and Adams was among the few uncapped players chosen. She made her T20I debut as the third-oldest England woman to do so, at close to 31 years of age, and batted in the middle order. She hit a 15-ball 23 in the second match, which Ireland went on to clinch in a last-over thriller.
Georgia Voll (Australia)
ODIs: 173 runs at 86.50 (3 innings)
That she made her name as a hard-hitting prospect in a side that boasts the Harris sisters, Grace and Laura, speaks volumes of Voll's ability. Three eye-catching knocks in the lead-up to Australia's three-match ODI series against India - a 94-ball 98 in the WNCL, and 92 off 55 and an unbeaten 56-ball 97 in the WBBL - helped her earn a maiden call-up. And she took to internationals, in Beth Mooney's words, like a duck to water. She began the India series with an unbeaten 46 off 42 balls in a low chase before slamming her first century in the second ODI - becoming the third-youngest Australian to do so. She hit 12 fours in that second knock and starred in a 130-run opening stand with Phoebe Litchfield.
ODIs: 173 runs at 86.50 (3 innings)
That she made her name as a hard-hitting prospect in a side that boasts the Harris sisters, Grace and Laura, speaks volumes of Voll's ability. Three eye-catching knocks in the lead-up to Australia's three-match ODI series against India - a 94-ball 98 in the WNCL, and 92 off 55 and an unbeaten 56-ball 97 in the WBBL - helped her earn a maiden call-up. And she took to internationals, in Beth Mooney's words, like a duck to water. She began the India series with an unbeaten 46 off 42 balls in a low chase before slamming her first century in the second ODI - becoming the third-youngest Australian to do so. She hit 12 fours in that second knock and starred in a 130-run opening stand with Phoebe Litchfield.
Pratika Rawal (India)
ODIs: 134 runs at 44.66, 2 wickets at 18.50 (3 innings)
Rawal started playing cricket from the age of ten but came into the spotlight in the Senior Women's One Day Trophy when she hit an unbeaten 161 off 155 balls batting at No. 3 against Assam, which took Delhi into the knockouts. Rawal is known as a steady batter who can accumulate runs at will, and her power game was on show in the Women's Delhi Premier League. All of that translated into a call-up to India's ODI side, which was looking for an opening partner for Smriti Mandhana owing to Shafali Verma's poor form and injury to Priya Punia. Rawal soon showed her mettle by scoring her first half-century in her second ODI, against West Indies, and also contributed with the ball, returning 2 for 37 in five overs.
ODIs: 134 runs at 44.66, 2 wickets at 18.50 (3 innings)
Rawal started playing cricket from the age of ten but came into the spotlight in the Senior Women's One Day Trophy when she hit an unbeaten 161 off 155 balls batting at No. 3 against Assam, which took Delhi into the knockouts. Rawal is known as a steady batter who can accumulate runs at will, and her power game was on show in the Women's Delhi Premier League. All of that translated into a call-up to India's ODI side, which was looking for an opening partner for Smriti Mandhana owing to Shafali Verma's poor form and injury to Priya Punia. Rawal soon showed her mettle by scoring her first half-century in her second ODI, against West Indies, and also contributed with the ball, returning 2 for 37 in five overs.
Saima Thakor (India)
ODIs: 7 wickets at 41.28 (8 innings)
T20Is: 1 wicket at 8.72 econ (3 innings)
Thakor forced the spotlight onto herself in last year's WPL 2024 with a crackerjack of a ball to dismiss Harmanpreet Kaur for her first wicket in the competition; it was a moment that showed she was up for a fight. With seam-bowling allrounders at a premium, Thakor soon made her international debut - against New Zealand at home. She struck with her third ball, getting Suzie Bates caught behind, and later broke a promising partnership by dismissing Brooke Halliday caught and bowled. Thakor went on India's tour of Australia and then made her T20I debut in December against the touring West Indies side.
ODIs: 7 wickets at 41.28 (8 innings)
T20Is: 1 wicket at 8.72 econ (3 innings)
Thakor forced the spotlight onto herself in last year's WPL 2024 with a crackerjack of a ball to dismiss Harmanpreet Kaur for her first wicket in the competition; it was a moment that showed she was up for a fight. With seam-bowling allrounders at a premium, Thakor soon made her international debut - against New Zealand at home. She struck with her third ball, getting Suzie Bates caught behind, and later broke a promising partnership by dismissing Brooke Halliday caught and bowled. Thakor went on India's tour of Australia and then made her T20I debut in December against the touring West Indies side.
S Sudarshanan is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo. @Sudarshanan7