South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt has been crowned ICC Women’s Player of the Month for April for the third time in seven months, on the back of outstanding batting performances in white-ball series against New Zealand and India, announced from ICC headquarters in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Thursday, 14 May 2026.
The 27-year-old Proteas Women skipper edged Sri Lanka batter Imesha Dulani and Brazil all-rounder Laura Cardoso to claim the women’s award, adding to her earlier honours in October and December 2025.
Wolvaardt displayed remarkable consistency across both white-ball formats during April, opening with 138 runs in two ODIs against New Zealand at an average of 69.00, including back-to-back knocks of 69 in the closing matches of the series.
She carried that form into a five-match T20I series at home against India, amassing 330 runs at an average of 82.50 and a strike rate of 168.36, registering one century and three half-centuries as South Africa secured a 4-1 series victory.
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Wolvaardt’s standout innings came in the third T20I against India, where she blasted 115 off 53 deliveries in a successful chase of 192, striking 14 fours and five sixes at a strike rate of 216.98 to power South Africa to a nine-wicket win.
Wolvaardt said: “It feels incredible to win a third ICC Player of the Month award in such a short span of time, and I hope to continue batting with the same confidence and consistency. This has been one of the most enjoyable phases of my career and it’s especially satisfying to have achieved success across formats.
“What makes this award even more special is that these performances came against the reigning World Cup and T20 World Cup champions, which is something I truly cherish. I’m grateful to my team-mates for their constant support, and I hope to carry this form into the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup next month in England and Wales.”
The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 takes place across England and Wales from Friday, 12 June to Sunday, 5 July, with the Proteas Women among the leading contenders ahead of the global showpiece.
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The women’s award was decided by a vote among global fans registered at icc-cricket.com and a specialist panel comprising former international players and media representatives.
Original Copy: the ICC, with editing by gsport
Main Photo Caption: South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt has been named ICC Women’s Player of the Month for April 2026, marking a third honour in seven months following prolific batting performances against New Zealand and India ahead of the global T20 showpiece. All File Photos: Cricket South Africa
Photo 2 Caption: Laura Wolvaardt continues a remarkable run with the bat, and heads into next month’s tournament in commanding form.
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