The American-born Bhaskar was the leading scorer for the USA Women's team in her debut series at the ICC Women's World Cup Qualifier during the month of November in Bangladesh.

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By Peter Della Penna

DreamCricket.com is wrapping up the year in United States Cricket by recognizing USA’s standout performers at the international level. The 2011 New Inning Foundation Newcomer of the Year is 17-year-old Shebani Bhaskar.

Much attention throughout the year is directed towards men’s cricket throughout the USA and the men’s national team certainly had a fair share of debutants at the senior level. In fact, there were 15 men’s players who wore a USA cap for the first time.

However, one rookie women’s player demonstrated a combination of potential and performance that was superior to any of the rookie men’s players in 2011. Her feats were not just impressive on the day, but demonstrate the promising talent she holds for the future… and she’s only a teenager.

The American-born Bhaskar was the leading scorer for the USA Women’s team in her debut series at the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier during the month of November in Bangladesh. Bhaskar was USA’s top scorer in three of the six games played at the tournament. Overall, she was first on the team with 139 runs in six games, nearly twice as many as the second best player. She had the team’s highest average at 23.16, the best strike rate at 57.67, spent the most time at the crease in terms of deliveries faced and hit the most boundaries for any USA player with 22.

Bhaskar cemented the award with her performance against Zimbabwe. She top scored with 72, USA’s only half-century in the tournament, in a team total of 188. In the field, she sealed the match with a bit of athleticism by firing a direct hit at the striker’s end to run out Zimbabwe’s Sharyce Saili, giving USA a dramatic one-run victory over a Full Member nation.

Image (right) - Shebani Bhaskar [Courtesy: ICC]

The daughter of a US diplomat, Bhaskar currently goes to high school in Chennai and is constantly improving her skills against high quality opposition. Bhaskar has already represented the Tamil Nadu senior women’s team and the way she performed at the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier proved she can handle the pressure of international cricket. One can only imagine how much better she’ll be with more experience and opportunities to play with better players surrounding her. At her age and with her skills, she has a chance to forge a lengthy career representing the United States.

In recognition of her achievement, Bhaskar will receive a plaque as well as a $250 gift certificate sponsored by the New Inning Foundation and DreamCricket.com.