Shubman Gill voted ICC Men's Player of Month for January

Dubai: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday announced the winners of the ICC Player of the Month awards for January 2023, with India’s Shubman Gill being crowned the ICC Men’s Player of the Month and England’s Grace Scrivens claiming the ICC Women’s Player of the Month.

Gill, who has been in scintillating form across formats of late, has been named the winner of the ICC Men's Player of the Month award for January 2023.

Nominated alongside New Zealand’s Devon Conway and fellow countryman Mohammed Siraj, Gill bagged the honours for a brilliant run in white-ball cricket in January.

On the back of a fine run in ODIs in 2022 and a fruitful Test tour of Bangladesh in December, where he registered his maiden Test hundred, Gill was rewarded with a maiden T20I cap during the three-match home series against Sri Lanka, where he managed scores of 7, 5 and 46. He then aggregated 207 from three ODI innings against the island nation, including 70 and 116 in the first and third game respectively.

His standout knock though came in the first of three ODIs against New Zealand in Hyderabad, where he smashed 208 off 149 on a day when none of his teammates crossed 28, to power India to a match-winning score of 349/8 in what turned out to be a nail-biting thriller.

Gill struck 19 fours and nine sixes in an enterprising knock, getting to the 200-run milestone with three successive maximums off Lockie Ferguson. He became the fifth Indian to register an ODI double-hundred, after Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Rohit Sharma (thrice) and Ishan Kishan.

The 23-year-old rounded off the series with scores of 40 not out and 112 - the latter being his fourth ODI ton to go with five fifties in 21 innings to date - as India swept the Blackcaps 3-0.

Gill’s aggregate of 360 is the joint-highest ever for anyone in a three-match bilateral ODI series, equalling Babar Azam’s record against the West Indies in 2016-17.

After underwhelming returns in the first two T20Is against New Zealand, Gill smashed a 126 not out off just 63 deliveries in the third match in Ahmedabad to extend an enviable run. With it, he became the fifth India batter to score a hundred in each of the three international formats, alongside Tendulkar, Rohit, Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli.

Gill is currently a part of the India Test squad for the ongoing four-match home series against Australia, which India leads 1-0 following their innings and 132-run win in the first Test in Nagpur.

Scrivens becomes the youngest recipient of the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award after starring in the first-ever ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup.

A dominant figure with bat and ball throughout the tournament, her all-round performances saw her claim the Player of the Tournament prize. Equally, England’s captain excelled in her leadership role, guiding her side to the inaugural Final.

The talented youngsters were successful following a global vote conducted among media representatives, ICC Hall of Famers, former international players, and fans registered at icc-cricket.com.

The ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup saw several superstars emerge onto the world stage, and Scrivens stood out during a month where she performed brilliantly as batter, bowler and as leader in England’s run to the Final.

Captaining her side in seven outings, the 19-year-old enjoyed plenty of success in the middle, scoring 293 runs at an average of 41.85 which included three successive half-centuries in victories over Rwanda, Ireland and the West Indies. As well as her notable batting exploits, Scrivens took nine valuable wickets throughout the tournament at a remarkable average of 7.11, including the final wicket as England sealed their passage to the Final in the thrilling semi-final victory over Australia by three runs.

The England starlet is the third winner from England in successive months, emulating Jos Buttler and Harry Brook who claimed the ICC Men’s Player of the Month awards in November and December respectively, and emerges victorious from fellow nominees Phoebe Litchfield and Beth Mooney of Australia, who both performed brilliantly in the shorter formats during January.

Reacting to the ICC Women’s Player of the Month prize, Scrivens commented, “I am so happy and amazed to have been voted the ICC Women’s Player of the Month. It was a brilliant tournament and one that we really enjoyed. Women’s cricket is in a really exciting place at the minute and it’s just great to be a part of it.”

Former England international and ICC Player of the Month voting panel member Lydia Greenway added, “Grace was instrumental in ensuring England had a successful campaign at the recent ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup. Although they missed out to India in the Final, Grace was a true leader throughout, whilst also picking up Player of the Tournament. She was a joy to watch at such a young age.”

Reflecting on his excellent month and the ICC Men’s Player of the Month prize, Gill commented, “I am thrilled to have been voted the ICC Men’s Player of the Month by the ICC panel and global cricket fans. January was a special month for me and winning this award makes it all the more memorable.

I owe this success to my teammates and coaches who continue to support me as a player, and I’d like to congratulate my fellow nominees on their excellent performances also."

“It is always heartening to be recognised for your performances, and I will take great confidence from these innings, especially as we head into an extremely important period prior to an ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup on home soil,” he added.

Former Zimbabwe international and voting panel member Pommie Mbangwa added, “The month gone by was seemingly a re-announcement of the talent of Shubman Gill. His languid elegance and beautiful style has been evident right from his under-19 days, and they continue."

“Gill’s double century against New Zealand puts him in an elite club and may signal the take-off of his career proper. He’s had a prolific month of cricket with bat in hand and it has been a sight to behold,” Mbangwa said. (UNI)