Express takes a look at the top five stars of the just-concluded tourney
Mithali Raj | India
409 runs at 45.44
It was not surprising to see her do well in the quadrennial extravaganza, given her consistency over the years. Her most crucial contribution came in the virtual quarterfinal against New Zealand, when her 109 off 123 helped India bounce back from back-to-back defeats. In the semifinal against formidable Australia, she made patient 36. She was India’s highest run-getter and second-best overall. Was perhaps the best skipper in the competition.
Natalie Sciver | England
369 runs at 46.12, 7 wickets
Has become popular after vidoes of her ‘Nat-meg’ went viral. An explosive batter, Natalie’s strike rate of 107.58 is the best among any player in the top 10 run-getters list. She also smashed two centuries, and one of them helped England clinch their semifinal berth. She was also one of the stars of the final, her 51 off 68 helping England rebuild after the loss of three early wickets.
Harmanpreet Kaur | India
359 runs at 59.83, 5 wickets
Harmanpreet has become a household name following her exploits against Australia in the semifinal. Considered by many as the best knock in women’s ODIs, her 171 not out had 20 boundaries and 7 sixes, the joint second-best in WODIs. The knock also came at a crucial juncture, and she accelerated quickly after a sedate start. She made a half-century in the final too. Certainly, a player to watch out for in the future.
Deepti Sharma | India
216 runs at 30.85, 12 wickets
With her swashbuckling batting and tidy off-spin, the teenager has been turning heads. She smashed back-to-back half-centuries against Sri Lanka and South Africa, the latter boasting of perhaps the best pace attack in the competition. With the ball, she gave India vital breakthroughs. Her fielding was also impressive, and her direct hits caught batswomen short on more than once occasion. Panicked in the final with India close to sealing a victory though.
Dane van Niekerk | South Africa
15 wickets at 10.00, 99 runs
Proved she is one of the best all-rounders around. Her three four-wicket hauls included a 4/0 against West Indies, making her the first cricketer to pick up four wickets without giving away a single run in world cricket. Another four-wicket haul came against India in their group-stage encounter, and she also hit a half-century in that game. As captain, took South Africa to their first WWC semifinal in 17 years.