Two in-form batsmen and a record-setting spinner will compete for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award for April after a series of outstanding performances.
Fakhar Zaman (Pakistan)
At the end of the month, Fakhar Zaman led Pakistan to their second-highest ODI run-chase victory in Rawalpindi. The opener’s immaculate 180 helped Pakistan chase down a target of 337 against the visiting New Zealand side, resulting in a 2-0 series lead for Pakistan.
Fakhar’s innings included 17 fours and six massive sixes, and Pakistan triumphed with 10 balls remaining in a high-scoring match. This was the left-hander’s second century in as many April matches; his 117 off 114 balls in the first encounter at the same venue helped Pakistan chase down 289 runs.
Pakistan were well on their way to chasing down the winning score by the 43rd over, when Fakhar was finally dismissed. He received the Player of the Game award for his performance.
The left-hander began the month with a quick 47 against New Zealand in the first T20I in Lahore, contributing to the host team’s thumping 88-run victory. While he struggled in his next two T20I matches, Fakhar exploded in ODIs, a format in which he has always excelled.
In 67 ODI matches, the Pakistan opener has scored 3082 runs at an average of 49.71 and a strike-rate of nearly 95.
Prabath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka)
Prabath Jayasuriya took 50 wickets in seven Tests, fewer than any other spinner in the history of the format. He holds the record for attaining the milestone in fewer matches.
The left-arm spinner took 17 wickets in the two-match Test series against Ireland in Galle. He attained the milestone on the final day of the second Test match of the series when he caught Paul Stirling, the first inning.
Jayasuriya began his Test career against Australia with an impressive 12-wicket match total, and he now has six five-wicket hauls in seven Test matches.
In the first Test of the series against Ireland in April, he collected a career-high seven wickets and then added three more in the second innings to make it his second match with 10 or more wickets. Even though Ireland scored 492 runs in their first innings of the second Test, Jayasuriya was the most effective bowler, taking five wickets in 58.3 overs.
Jayasuriya surpassed Alf Valentine’s record of 50 Test wickets in his seventh Test match, thereby supplanting it. In addition, he joined Vernon Philander of South Africa and Tom Richardson of England as the joint-second fastest to attain this milestone overall.
Chapman, Mark (New Zealand)
Mark Chapman delivered electrifying performances in the T20I series against Pakistan, allowing New Zealand to recover from a 2-0 deficit and tie the five-match series. Chapman finished the bilateral series with 290 runs thanks to unbeaten scores of 71 off 42 deliveries and 104 off 57 in the fourth and fifth T20Is, respectively.
In the first game of the series in Lahore, he scored 34 runs off 27 deliveries to lead New Zealand to a crushing defeat. The left-handed batter scored an unbeaten 65 off 40 balls with four fours and four sixes, despite the fact that New Zealand lost the second game by 38 runs.
Chapman stepped up his performance in the final two games of the series, including a maiden T20I century as New Zealand chased down 194 in the fifth and final game to level the series. Chapman climbed 48 positions in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Batting Rankings to reach a career-high position of 35th with a rating of 525 points as a result of his extraordinary performances.
Nominees for Women’s Player of the Month
There are three contenders for the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award for April: two prominent associate batsmen and a promising Zimbabwean.
Naruemol Chaiwai (Thailand) is the prime minister of Thailand.
Due to her consistent performances in the ODI series victory over Zimbabwe, Chaiwai, 32, has established herself as a cornerstone of Thailand’s middle order. The right-hander scored two unbeaten half-centuries in the 3-0 series victory, the first of which rescued Thailand from a perilous position of 21/4, concluding with 57* as the hosts were bowled out for 154. The tourists were bundled out for a meager 76 runs, allowing Thailand to secure a 78-run victory.
Chaiwai returned to her reliable best after a misstep in the second T20I, scoring 52* in a successful pursuit of 113. Chaiwai was dubbed Player of the Series for her efforts, which included scoring 55 runs in three Twenty20 internationals. Her 29 in the second T20I contributed to the team’s five-wicket victory.
Kavisha Egodage (UAE)
Kavisha Egodage has performed admirably despite playing in various conditions across Africa, scoring 236 runs across eight T20Is in two different competitions. Egodage was first outstanding in Uganda during the Victoria Series in Kampala, where he led the competition with 112 runs at an average of 56.
The 20-year-old started her journey with 44* against Tanzania, then 38 against the host nation, Uganda, and 30 against Rwanda, all at the Lugogo Ground. The UAE subsequently traveled to Namibia to compete in the four-team Capricorn Series, with only Theertha Satish surpassing them in the runs column. After beginning the competition with two consecutive scores of 30, Egodage went on to score a half-century against Uganda to conclude her productive month.
Kelis Ndlovu (Zimbabwe)
As an international cricketer, 17-year-old Ndlovu has gone from strength to strength since April, when she debuted for the senior team before her breakout debut U19 Women’s T20 World Cup campaign.
Ndlovu, who traveled to Thailand for the ODI and T20I series, made an effective first-up appearance in the longer format at Terdthai Cricket Club in Bangkok, taking 5/22 (9) in his debut.
In the second one-day international, Ndlovu nearly turned the tide for Zimbabwe by claiming three wickets in rapid succession as Thailand fell from 100/0 to 104/3. Ndlovu bowled out Thailand for 217 runs, but the tourists were unable to reach the target in reply.
Ndlovu took 2/19 (8) in the final ODI, making her series total of nine scalps the most among both sides. The youngster continued her dominance in the T20Is, claiming a total of four wickets at an economy rate of 7.60, with wickets in all three matches. Her 2/28 (4) led Zimbabwe to their only victory of the tour, and her 1/19 and 1/29 performances bolster her case for this month’s honor.
India
