Shubman Gill, Siraj in shortlist for Men’s Player of the Month

India’s Shubman Gill and Mohammad Siraj, who had tremendous series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand, along with Black Caps’ opener Devon Conway have been shortlisted for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month awards for January 2023. The shortlist was announced following a blockbuster month of cricket which included a host of bilateral cricket across the globe. The ICC Player of the Month awards celebrate the outstanding cricketers on the international stage from the previous calendar month, and the lineups for January 2023 feature a blend of established international performers and exciting new talent hoping to claim the awards. Included in the men’s Player of the Month shortlist, the talented batter Gill dazzled with recent ODI performances against Sri Lanka and New Zealand, registering two centuries and one double-century. Gill secured his first nomination for the award on the back of a superb month, most notably in ODI cricket. Scoring 567 ODI runs during the period at an astonishing average of 113.40. His entertaining and powerful strokeplay saw him hit three figures on three occasions. In a month full of highlights. Arguably his best outing in this period was a glittering 208 not out in the series opener against New Zealand in Hyderabad, coming in just 149 balls with 28 boundaries. As well as his successful ODI exploits, Gill churned out 76 runs in T20I cricket during the month. Mohammed Siraj continues to rocket up the ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings and reached the summit for bowlers in January thanks to back-to-back four-wicket hauls against the same opposition. Siraj’s rise to the top of the ICC Men’s ODI bowler rankings has been nothing short of meteoric. Having only made one appearance in ODI’s before last year, Siraj has been a constant performer in the past 12 months, earning him a spot in the recently announced ICC Men’s ODI Team of the Year for 2022, and now finds himself at the top of the rankings after another excellent month. Si