Dubai, 13 Oct 2023: In a press release disseminated by the International Cricket Council (ICC) today, Shubman Gill from India and Chamari Athapaththu from Sri Lanka were declared the recipients of the ICC Men’s and Women’s Player of the Month awards for September 2023, respectively. The accolades came in recognition of their pivotal roles and stellar performances in their teams’ significant victories during the month. Votes cast by global fans and a specialist panel, inclusive of ICC Hall of Famers, former international players, and media representatives, determined the victors of the awards.
Shubman Gill, the celebrated young batter from India, grasped the ICC Men’s Player of the Month title following an impressive batting display during the Asia Cup and the subsequent ODI series against Australia. He accumulated 480 runs during September at an average of 80 and a strike rate of 99.37. His remarkable run of form is underscored by his crucial knocks against Nepal, Pakistan, and Bangladesh in the Asia Cup and successive high scores against Australia in Mohali and Indore. Regarding his win, Gill expressed delight and gratitude towards teammates, family, and coaches and emphasized that the award would spur him to pursue further excellence.
Chamari Athapaththu, the Sri Lankan icon, garnered the ICC Women’s Player of the Month accolade after leading her team to its first-ever series win on English soil. In the T20I series against England, Athapaththu showcased notable bowling and batting prowess, especially in the second and third fixtures where her efforts both restricted the opponent’s scoring and expedited her team’s pursuit of victory. Commenting on the acknowledgment, Athapaththu highlighted the award as a collective honour for her entire team and anticipated that the recognition would invigorate her, her teammates, and their supporters, and serve as an inspiration to emerging cricketers.
Both players have previously exhibited exceptional skill and leadership in the cricketing arena and their triumph in the Player of the Month awards underscores their ongoing impact in international cricket. The initiative by the ICC to honour such contributions to the sport continues to engage fans and aficionados globally, who can partake in voting for their preferred players across all formats of international cricket at www.icc-cricket.com/awards.