The ICC has announced the nominees for the Women’s Player of the Month award for April 2026, with Laura Wolvaardt, Imesha Dulani and Laura Cardoso shortlisted after standout performances for South Africa, Sri Lanka and Brazil.
The nominations arrive as teams continue preparations for the expanded ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, which will be held in England and Wales from June 12 to July 5. The tournament will feature 12 teams, with Group 1 including Australia, South Africa, Bangladesh, the Netherlands, India and Pakistan, while Group 2 features England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ireland, West Indies and Scotland.
Laura Wolvaardt: South Africa’s Record-Setting Leader
South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt enjoyed a dominant month across formats. She began April with 138 runs in two ODIs against New Zealand, averaging 69.00 after scoring consecutive 69s.
She then carried that form into the five-match T20I series against India from April 17 to 27, where South Africa won 4-1. Wolvaardt scored 330 runs in five innings at an average of 82.50 and a strike rate of 168.36, including a century and three half-centuries. Her tally surpassed Hayley Matthews’ mark of 310 runs for the most runs in a bilateral Women’s T20I series.
Her best innings came in the third T20I at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on April 22, where she struck an unbeaten 115 off 53 balls, with 14 fours and five sixes, as South Africa chased 192 to win by nine wickets. Her overall performance earned her the Player of the Series award and strengthened South Africa’s momentum ahead of the T20 World Cup.
Imesha Dulani: Sri Lanka’s Consistent Top-Order Batter
Imesha Dulani played a key role for Sri Lanka during their white-ball tour of Bangladesh from April 20 to May 2. In the ODI series, which Sri Lanka won 2-1 under Chamari Athapaththu, Dulani scored 116 runs in three innings at an average of 38.66, including two half-centuries.
Her consistency made her the third-highest run-scorer of the series and earned her Player of the Series honours.
Dulani continued her form in the T20I leg, scoring 82 runs in two matches. Her 55 in the opening match helped Sri Lanka begin the series with a 25-run win, before they went on to complete a 3-0 sweep.
Laura Cardoso: Brazil’s All-Round Standout
Brazil captain Laura Cardoso produced a remarkable all-round campaign at the BCA Kalahari Women’s T20 International Tournament 2026, held from April 6 to 11. She led Brazil to the title after an unbeaten eight-match run.
Cardoso topped the batting charts with 203 runs in seven matches, across six innings, at an average of 50.75 and a strike rate of 130.12. Her returns included half-centuries against Botswana and Zambia.
She was equally dominant with the ball, finishing as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 17 wickets in six innings at an average of 2.00 and an economy rate of 2.24.
Her standout performance came on April 9 against Lesotho, when she recorded figures of 9 for 4 in three overs, the best bowling figures in Women’s T20I history. The spell included a hat-trick in the second over, four wickets in the fourth and two more in the sixth, helping Brazil seal a 189-run win.
With Wolvaardt, Dulani and Cardoso all delivering decisive performances, the April shortlist reflects the growing depth and competitiveness in women’s cricket across different regions.
