The International Cricket Council (ICC) has highlighted the best players from an exciting month of international cricket by announcing the shortlists for the ICC Men’s and Women’s Player of the Month awards for February.
The three tournament players who are nominated for ICC Men’s Player of the Month are carrying their exceptional play into the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025.
With a spectacular performance in India’s resounding series victory over England before to the competition, Shubman Gill made headlines and reclaimed the top rank in the ODI Batter Rankings before their first triumph over Bangladesh. In the Tri-Nation series in Pakistan, Glenn Phillips of New Zealand had a run of unbroken runs at the wicket and started his Champions Trophy with a half-century on the first day. Australia’s captain Steve Smith, who scored consecutive hundreds as his team dominated their World Test Championship series in Sri Lanka, completes the lineup.
A productive young Thai bowler and two heroes of Australia’s triumph in the stand-alone Women’s Ashes Test round out the shortlist.
After a brilliant performance at the end of the Women’s Ashes series in Melbourne, spin master Alana King receives her first nomination for Player of the Month. Annabel Sutherland leads the innings victory with a massive score. The 20-year-old Thai bowling sensation Thipatcha Putthawong, who helped her team win the Nepal Women’s Tri-Nation Series, is the last nominee.
ICC Men’s Player of the Month Nominees for February
Shubman Gill (India)
In February, India’s talismanic batsman returned to the top of the ICC Men’s ODI Batter Rankings with 406 runs at an average of more than 100. He made significant contributions of 87 and 60 in three matches against England before securing a decisive series sweep in Ahmedabad with an outstanding 112. Under the lights in Dubai, the 25-year-old then started his Champions Trophy campaign with a magnificent 101 not out against Bangladesh, helping to chase down a difficult 229 target.
Glenn Phillips (New Zealand)
The all-rounder for the Blackcaps prepared for the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 in grand fashion by scoring crucial runs in the middle order to help Pakistan win the Tri-Nation Series earlier in February. After an incredible 106 off 74 balls in Lahore, which included seven maximums, there were unbeaten scores of 28 and 20. When the competition started, Phillips had a strong start, scoring 61 runs in 39 balls and making a spectacular catch to dismiss Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan, which helped the Blackcaps secure a 60-run victory in Karachi.
Steve Smith (Australia)
Smith once again grabbed the stage as Australia’s stand-in captain during their resounding 2-0 World Test Championship series sweep over Sri Lanka in Galle, despite his more muted form in the Champions Trophy. Together with Usman Khawaja, he scored a commanding 141 in the first Test. He then repeated the feat in the second Test, hitting 131 in the first innings of a nine-wicket victory that guaranteed him Player of the Series and a return to the top five Test hitters in the ICC Player Rankings.
ICC Women’s Player of the Month Nominees for February
Alana King (Australia)
Australia’s best legspinner had a great Women’s Ashes series and was instrumental in their historic series sweep by winning the Melbourne solo Test. Prior to making history with a career-best return in the longest format with five for 53 in the second innings, King took four for 45 in the first innings, which included important middle-order wickets of Sciver-Brunt, Dunkley, and Wyatt-Hodge.
Thipatcha Putthawong (Thailand)
Leading the wicket-taking charts as her team won the Nepal Women’s Tri-Nation Series in February, the Thailand left-armer, who had triumphed in May 2023, was once again the driving force behind their victory. At the start of the month, Putthawong took 14 wickets in six days, including four straight hauls of three or more. Putthawong not only made an impact with the ball but also hit a key unbeaten 25 before claiming four for ten in Thailand’s thrilling five-run triumph over the hosts on February 4.
Annabel Sutherland (Australia)
At the end of the year, Sutherland continued where she left off with a brilliant 163 in the Ashes Test victory over England, becoming the first woman to score a Test century at the ground in her decisive Player of the Match performance, even though she did not win the individual awards for which she was nominated in the recently announced ICC Awards 2024 (ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year and ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year).
India
