ICC Women’s Team of the Year 2016 announced; Smriti Mandhana lone Indian

New Delhi, Dec 14: India's opening batter Smriti Mandhana is the only woman player from the country to make it to the ICC Women's Team of the Year 2016.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday (Dec 14) announced the ICC women's ODI and T20I team of the year.

Smriti Mandhana lone Indian — Smriti Mandhana: Image Source (BCCI)

Mandhana, the 20-year-old left-handed opening batsman, averages 30.47 in ODIs and 17.66 in T20Is.

West Indies' Stafanie Taylor has been named captain of first-ever ICC Women's Team of the Year. Taylor led the West Indies side clinch the ICC Women's World T20 2016 in India.

New Zealand's Suzie Bates has been named the first cricketer to clinch both the ICC Women's ODI and T20I Player of the Year awards.

Based on the 12 months period between 14 September 2015 and 20 September 2016, which included the ICC Women's World Twenty20 India 2016 and the ICC Women's Championship, Bates scored 472 runs in eight ODIs at an average of just over 94. She also took eight wickets at an economy-rate of 3.75, said an ICC release.

In the shortest format of the game, Bates was the leading run-scorer with 429 runs at an average of 42.90 and a strike-rate of over 115 runs per 100 balls.

Bates had won the ICC Women's ODI Player of the Year award in 2013, but has been named as the ICC Women's T20I Player of the Year for the first time to join the esteemed company of England's Sarah Taylor (2012 and 2013), Meg Lanning of Australia (2014) and West Indies' Stafanie Taylor (2015).

Suzie Bates sends a message of thanks after her historic achievement of winning both ICC Women's ODI & T20I Player of the Year at #ICCAwards pic.twitter.com/bfZPUcdmMs
— ICC (@ICC) December 14, 2016

Meanwhile, Bates has also been named in the ICC Women's Team of the Year 2016 which will be captained by Stafanie Taylor, who spearheaded the West Indies to its maiden ICC Women's World Twenty20 title in India earlier this year.

The women's team of the year has been added to the list of awards to acknowledge and appreciate outstanding performances of women's cricketers over a 12-month period.

Apart from Bates, the side also includes two other New Zealanders - wicket-keeper Rachel Priest and off-spinner Leigh Kasperek.

The side features two Australians, Meg Lanning and Ellyse Perry, England's Heather Knight and Anya Shrubshole, two West Indians in Stafanie Taylor and Deandra Dottin as well as India's Smriti Mandhana and Sune Luus of South Africa. Kim Garth of Ireland has been named as 12th player.

Here's Women's Team of the Year (in batting order):

Suzie Bates (New Zealand)

Rachel Priest (New Zealand) (wicketkeeper)

Smriti Mandhana (India)

Stafanie Taylor (West Indies) (captain)

Meg Lanning (Australia)

Ellyse Perry (Australia)

Heather Knight (England)

Deandra Dottin (West Indies)

Sune Luus (South Africa)

Anya Shrubsole (England)

Leigh Kasperek (New Zealand)