Aamir Ali Janjua
Dubai (UAE):-The nominees for ICC Players of the Month of February for men’s and women’s international cricket have been announced today. February saw some strong men and women candidates staking their claim with some brilliant performances. The ICC Player of the Month nominations in the men’s category features UAE batter, Vriitya Aravind, India batter Shreyas Iyer and Nepal’s Dipendra Sing Airee. In the women’s category, New Zealand all-rounder Amelia Kerr, India veteran star Mithali Raj and all-rounder Deepti Sharma are nominated.
ICC Men’s Player of the Month for February:
Vriitya Aravind – UAE
Vriitya Aravind was the young star in UAE's campaign at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Qualifier A held in Oman last month. The youngest member of the squad, nineteen-year-old Aravind played a crucial role in UAE’s qualification to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 which will take place later this year. In the five matches he played, he smashed 267 runs at an average of 89.00 and a strike rate of 154.33. He set the tone with a 67-ball 97* in the opening game against Oman and carried his form through the tournament with scores of 40, 84*, 46 in the next three games. Though he didn't finish with a flourish, he did enough to win the Player of the Tournament.
Shreyas Iyer - India
Shreyas Iyer was in unstoppable form in the month of February and played a vital role in India's white-ball domination. He started the month with a Player of the Match-winning 80 against West Indies in the final ODI and a 16-ball 25 in the last T20I. With India opting to rest players and injury to Suryakumar Yadav, Iyer was promoted to No.3 in the T20I series against Sri Lanka. He scored three unbeaten fifties in three games and finished with 204 runs at a blistering strike rate of 174.35 and was awarded the Player of the Series for his exploits.
Dipendra Singh Airee – Nepal
Dipendra Singh Airee was a vital cog in Nepal's third-place finish in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Qualifier A in Oman. He was splendid both with the bat and the ball, finishing with 159 runs and six wickets in the tournament. Prior to the start of the tournament, he was brilliant in the quadrangular series against Oman, UAE, and Ireland where he accumulated 142 runs in three games and grabbed a four-for in the final game against Ireland.
ICC Women’s Player of the Month for February:
Amelia Kerr - New Zealand
In the ODI series against India ahead of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, she finished as the highest-run getter overall and the joint-highest wicket-taker for her team alongside her sister Jess Kerr. In the five ODIs, she scored 353 runs at an average of 117.66 and strike rate of 97.51, which included three fifties and a hundred. With the ball, she picked up 7 wickets at an economy of 5.78. She was also the Player of the Match in two of the five ODIs and took home the Player of the Series award as well.
Mithali Raj – India
Mithali Raj was one of the few shining lights for India in the ODI series against New Zealand. She was the highest run-scorer for India and the second-highest overall with 232 runs, including three fifties, averaging 77.33 with a strike rate of 82.56. In the final ODI, she played the role of the finisher to perfection, remaining unbeaten on 54 as India chased down 252 with four overs to spare. With the win, India ensured that they finished the series with a win in their kitty.
Deepti Sharma – India
Deepti Sharma was brilliant with both with the bat and ball in the series against New Zealand. She took the most wickets (10) in the ODI series and was handy with the bat as well, aggregating 116 runs in five matches. She grabbed a four-for in the second ODI and followed it up with a 69* in the next match.
