Ekta Bisht the only player to feature in ICC's ODI, T20 side of the year

With her agile fielding and deceptively cunning slow left-arm bowling, Ekta Bisht has become a permanent member of India Women’s ODI set up. Even when she is not scuttling the opposition through quick wickets, Ekta Bisht’s slow left armers have managed to keep the opposition’s scoring in check, enabling others to mount pressure from the other end.



 



The world found a fitting instance of Ekta’s heroic abilities with the ball in the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup where her 5-fer rocked Pakistan and hurried India to a comfortable victory.



 



As a result of her consistent efforts, the ICC have rewarded Ekta judiciously by naming her in Women’s ODI and T20 teams of the year. In fact, one can gage Ekta’s importance particularly in the eyes of the ICC owing the fact that the Almora-born talent happens to be the only Indian contestant featuring in either side enlisted by the revered ICC.



 



It is hardly a surprise that India’s ODI and Test captain, Mithali Raj- the scorer of over 6000 ODI runs happens to be in ICC’s ODI team even though her name features sans the captaincy honours that have been rested with England’s domineering batswoman, Heather Knight. Along with Mithali Raj, Ekta Bisht’s name comprises 2 out of 11 Indian women cricketers named in 2017 ICC ODI Women’s team.



 



But while there are two Australians in the form of Meg Lanning and Ellyse Perry, the latter being arguably the most talked about cricketer of 2017, four English players- Tammy Beaumont, Heather Knight, Sarah Taylor, Alex Hartley, one New Zealander- Amy Satterthwaite and two South Africans including Marzianne Kapp and ODI captain Dane van Niekerk it’s a bit of a surprise that not a single West Indian or Pakistani cricketer has been named in the ODI side.



 



But while many would be happy to see their favourite women cricketers being named in the ODI team, perhaps purists would wonder why someone of the class of Sana Mir or Diana Baig from Pakistan or Stephanie Taylor or Hayley Mathews have been overlooked especially when both Sana Mir and Mathews have been among runs as well as among wickets where 2017’s ICC Women’s World Cup was concerned.



 



However, coming back to India’s Ekta Bisht, who also finds herself in the ICC T20 side for 2017, is currently ranked 12th in T20s while her ranking is 14 in ODI Cricket.



 



ODI Team of the Year:



Tammy Beaumont (ENG), Meg Lanning (AUS), Mithali Raj (IND), Amy Satterthwaite (NZ), Ellyse Perry (AUS), Heather Knight (ENG/C), Sarah Taylor (ENG/WK), Dane Van Niekerk (RSA), Marizanne Kapp (RSA), Ekta Bisht (IND), Alex Hartley (ENG) 



 



T20I Team of the Year:



Beth Mooney (AUS/WK), Danni Wyatt (ENG), Harmanpreet Kaur (IND), Stafanie Taylor (WI/C), Sophie Devine (NZ), Deandra Dottin (WI), Hayley Matthews (WI), Megan Schutt (AUS), Amanda Jade Wellington (AUS), Lea Tahuhu (NZ), Ekta Bisht (IND).