Laura Wolvaardt’s remarkable consistency at the top of South Africa’s batting order has been recognised once again, with the Proteas opener named ICC Women’s Player of the Month for December 2025 following a prolific white-ball series against Ireland.
The 26-year-old played a central role in South Africa’s clean sweep over Ireland in both T20I and ODI formats, producing match-defining performances that underlined her growing stature in international cricket. It marks Wolvaardt’s second ICC monthly award in quick succession, having also claimed the honour in October 2025.
“I’m really pleased to receive this award again,” Wolvaardt said. “Winning it twice in three months is something I’ll always remember. I thoroughly enjoyed batting during Ireland’s tour and contributing runs in both formats.”
Her form in December followed an outstanding ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, and she showed no signs of slowing down as she dismantled the Irish bowling attack across the series. Wolvaardt set the tone in the T20Is with a commanding 115 off just 65 balls in the opening match, an innings featuring 15 fours and five sixes, as South Africa went on to secure a 2-0 series victory.
The right-hander carried that momentum into the ODI leg, producing back-to-back centuries. She struck 124 from 111 deliveries in the second ODI, peppering the boundary rope 19 times, before sealing the series with an unbeaten 100 in the third match as South Africa completed a dominant 3-0 sweep.
In total, Wolvaardt piled up 392 runs across formats during December, edging out strong competition for the award. Teammate Sune Luus finished close behind after amassing 323 runs and claiming eight wickets, while India’s Shafali Verma, the November recipient, also impressed with 241 runs from five T20Is.
Looking ahead, Wolvaardt has her sights firmly set on the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026.
“With the World Cup coming up, my focus is on maintaining this momentum,” she said. “We’ve made real strides in recent ICC tournaments, and I’m excited about the summer ahead in England and Wales. I’m hopeful I can keep contributing and help the team push all the way.”
