The International Cricket Council (ICC) has on Saturday (February 21) announced the three nominees for the Men’s Player of the Month award for January 2026, and it’s a star-studded list.
Suryakumar Yadav, Joe Root, Daryl Mitchell in race for top ICC honour
India’s explosive batter Suryakumar Yadav, England’s dependable run-machine Joe Root, and New Zealand’s match-winner Daryl Mitchell have been shortlisted after delivering outstanding performances for their respective teams in the month of January 2026.
Mitchell had a dream tour of India in the ODI series. Mitchell played two back-to-back centuries in the second and third ODI matches against India. He scored a massive 352 runs at an unbelievable average of 176 to help New Zealand win the series 2-1. He was named Player of the Series.
His stunning form also pushed him to the No. 1 spot in the ICC ODI batting rankings. Then, in the five-match T20I series against India, the Kiwi all-rounder smashed 125 runs at a strike rate of more than 186, and he has been in fine form in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026.
Joe Root’s dominance and Suryakumar Yadav’s remarkable turnaround
Joe Root also had a strong start to the year. He played a key role in England’s ODI series win 2-1 against Sri Lanka. Root scored 61, 75, and an unbeaten 111 and even picked up two wickets to clinch the Player of the Series award. Root had also smashed a superb 160 in the Sydney Test.
On the other hand, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav returned to form at the perfect time. He smashed three half-centuries and scored 242 runs in five matches against New Zealand at a strike rate close to 197. India won the series 4-1, and Suryakumar was named Player of the Series.
ICC reveals Women’s Player of the Month nominees for January 2026
Meanwhile, the ICC also named the nominees for the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award for January 2026. Gaby Lewis, Sobhana Mostery, and Tara Norris are in the race for the honor following their stunning performances in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 qualifier.
Ireland captain Gaby Lewis played a big role in helping her team qualify for the World Cup in England. She led from the front and scored runs consistently. In six matches in January, she made 251 runs at a healthy strike rate of nearly 125. Overall, in the qualifier, she scored 276 runs and finished as the highest run-scorer of the tournament. Her best score was 73 against Bangladesh.
Tara Norris and Tara Norris impress everyone
Bangladesh was also outstanding in the qualifier. They remained unbeaten in the tournament and qualified comfortably. Sobhana Mostery was the key, scoring 229 runs in her first six matches at a strong average of 45.80 and an aggressive strike rate above 145. She also took a wicket with her off-spin bowling.
The USA could not qualify, but Tara Norris impressed everyone. The left-arm pacer finished as the highest wicket-taker with 15 wickets. She took 11 wickets in January alone, including three-wicket spells against Namibia, Ireland, and Thailand. Now, they are in a race for the top award.
