The International Cricket Council (ICC) has uncovered the three players as the nominees of the ‘Player of the Month’ award for September 2024. However, there are no Indians on the list, but two Sri Lankan and Australian players have been nominated for the upcoming award.
So many games have taken place in the last month, including the five-match ODI series between England and Australia, while New Zealand made a short trip to Sri Lanka for two Test matches. India has also begun their home season with a two-match series against Bangladesh.
The first nominee of the ICC award has been Travis Head, who has addressed himself around the world across the three formats of the game. He has put himself in contention for the award thanks to his excellent time in five T20Is this month, against England and Scotland, with 182 runs at a ridiculous strike rate of nearly 250.
Head nailed 59 runs in only 23 balls against England before enjoying a 25-ball 80-run knock against Scotland, which helped the Kangaroos to rack up 113 runs in the powerplay overs, the highest ever registered score in the first six overs of the full member nation in a T20I game.
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The left-handed opening batter also carried the same fine touch in four innings of the five-match ODI series, where he smashed 248 runs at an average of over 60 and a strike rate of more than 120, besides bagging 4/28 in the decisive fifth ODI to help his side to clinch the series with a 3-2 margin.
With one of the biggest series at home against India in the summer coming in the form of the five-Tests at the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25, this purple patch and getting an ICC award nominee will be a huge boost for the batter and the Australian team, as they look to beat India in a Test series for the first time since 2014/15 summer.
Two Sri Lankan players nominated for ICC ‘Player of the Month’ award
Sri Lanka had an excellent time during the ICC award nominees after two of their players included their names in the award for September 2024. They got the better of the Tim Southee-led side in both the red-ball games at the Galle International Cricket Stadium.
The left-arm spinner of the side, Prabath Jayasuriya, has continued to go through remarkable Test runs, in the month. He was one of the biggest weapons for the Dhananjaya de Silva-led side, having picked up nine wickets in each of the two Test victories, including a five-wicket haul in each of the games.
The bowling figures of 5/68 in the second innings of the opening Test in Galle came a close final day as the visiting team was bowled out 63 runs shy of their target. The 6/42 in the second game of the series sealed the series. The 32-year-old, who has been nominated for the ICC award, now has collected 97 scalps in 16 games at an average of under 29, with a best of 7/52.
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Kamindu Mendis has extended his dream period in the five-day format of the game. In four Tests this month, the left-handed batting all-rounder has notched up 451 runs at an average of over 90, as they got a consolation victory at the Kennington Oval against England.
He also became the fastest batter in 75 years to score 1000 runs in the red-ball format, matching the efforts of Don Bradman, who also achieved the feat in eight innings. The impressive 114-run knock in the first Test followed by the 182* in the second Test, have pushed him to get the nomination for the ICC award.