Shubman Gill of India and Sophia Dunkley of England have been recognized as the ICC Men’s and Women’s Players of the Month for July, respectively, with Gill winning the Player of the Month award from a field of contenders that included England’s Test captain Ben Stokes and South Africa’s all-rounder Wiaan Mulder.
This is Gill's fourth time as Player of the Month, having been awarded the honour for February this year, as well as January and September 2023.
The 25 year-old was outstanding in July, scoring 567 runs at an average of 94.50 across three Test matches, including a double hundred and two centuries in six innings.
Gill, who described leading India’s Test team as a great inaugural tour, said the recognition was a significant honour.
"It feels great to be named the ICC Player of the Month for July. This time it holds a lot more significance since it has come for my performances during my first Test series as captain. The double ton in Birmingham is obviously something I will cherish forever and will be one of the highlights of my tour to England.
"The Test series against England was a learning experience for me as captain and we had some outstanding performances from both sides, which I am sure players from both sides will remember for a long time. I would like to thank the jury for selecting me for this award and my teammates who have been with me during the course of this exciting series. I look forward to continuing my form in the season ahead and bring more laurels for the country," Gill said in a statement.
Similarly, the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award was given to Sophia Dunkley for her consistent match-winning performances. She just edged out some stiff competition, from England team-mate Sophie Ecclestone and Irish captain, Gaby Lewis.
The 27-year-old Dunkley began July slowly in the second T20I against India in Bristol but bounced back with vehement 75 runs off of 53 balls in the following T20I, which proved to be vital for England's narrow six runs victory.
Across the four T20Is played during the series, Dunkley had a total of 144 runs with an average of 36 and impressive strike rate of 134.57. This form continued during the ODI series, where she turned in 126 runs at an average of 63 with a strike rate of 91.97, marking a strong month with the bat for the in-form England batter.
Dunkley commented on receiving the award, stating, “I am really happy to win the ICC Player of the Month award off the back of a really hard-fought series against India”
“We would have loved to have won the series but I think we’ll take a lot from it moving towards the ICC Women’s World Cup. India deserved their win and it was a great series to be a part of."
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