Shubman Gill’s fantastic run continues! After reaching the top of the ICC batting rankings, the Indian star has now received another honor—his third ‘ICC Player of the Month’ award, ending a 17-month wait. On the women’s side, Australian leg-spinner Alana King claimed the title for February.
The ICC announced the best male and female cricketers of the month on Wednesday, with Gill edging past Australia’s Steve Smith and New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips. King, on the other hand, won the race against fellow Australian Annabel Sutherland and Thailand’s Thipatcha Putthawong.
Gill had a stellar February, scoring 406 runs in five ODIs at an impressive average of 101.50. Against England at home, he played crucial knocks of 87 and 60 in the first two matches before smashing 112 off 102 balls in the final game. His performances earned him the Player of the Match award in the first and third ODIs, as well as the Player of the Series title after scoring 259 runs across three games.
Maintaining his form, Gill played a match-winning unbeaten 101 against Bangladesh in the ICC Champions Trophy and followed it up with a solid 46 against Pakistan.
Thanks to his outstanding performances, the 25-year-old has now secured his third ICC Player of the Month award, adding to his previous wins in January and September 2023.
Meanwhile, Alana King played a key role in Australia’s victory over England in the multi-format Women’s Ashes series, taking 23 wickets across Tests, ODIs, and T20Is. Her exceptional performances earned her the Player of the Series award.
In the only Test match in Melbourne, King shined with figures of 4/48 in the first innings and followed it up with 5/50 in the second, showcasing her brilliant leg-spin skills.
With King’s win, Australian cricketers have now dominated the ICC Player of the Month award for three consecutive months. Annabel Sutherland won it in December, followed by Beth Mooney in January.
