Jasprit Bumrah and Smriti Mandhana win ICC Men's and ICC Women's Player of the month awards for June
Star Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah won the ICC Men's Player of the Month award for June 2024 after his sensational performance in the recently concluded T20 World Cup. Bumrah was declared the Player of the Tournament as he helped India end their 11-year wait for silverware in ICC events.
In eight matches, Bumrah picked up as many as 15 wickets, the second-most for his country behind Arshdeep Singh. Moreover, he maintained a mind-boggling economy rate of just 4.17 at an incredible average of 8.26. Almost every single batter found it tough to get him away irrespective of the pitch or conditions.
Here's what Jasprit Bumrah was quoted as saying by ICC after earning the accolade:
"I am delighted to be named the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for June. It’s a special honour for me following a memorable few weeks spent in the USA and West Indies. We have had a lot to celebrate as a team, and I’m delighted to be able to add this personal accolade to the list.
"To perform as well as we did at the tournament and lift the trophy at the end is incredibly special, and I will carry those memories with me forever."
Bumrah congratulated compatriot Rohit Sharma and Afghanistan batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz as they were his fellow nominees for the award for June. He also thanked his family, his teammates and the fans for their continued support.
Meanwhile, Smriti Mandhana won the ICC Women's Player of the Month for June after as many as three centuries against South Africa, two of which came in the ODI series and the other one in the one-off Test. Her 339 runs in the ODI series helped the Women in Blue complete a 3-0 whitewash in ODIs and her 149 played a major role in helping India Women win the one-off Test.
Jasprit Bumrah on his emotions after the T20 World Cup
Jasprit Bumrah couldn't hold back his tears after winning the T20 World Cup and it was a sight not often seen as he is someone who keeps his emotions in check. However, during the feliciation ceremony of the Indian team at the Wankhede Stadium, Bumrah opened up on why it was an emotional moment for him.
Here's what he said:
"It was unreal. Usually, I am not the one who is at a loss of words, but seeing my son, the emotions that came in. I never cry after the game, but I started crying, and I cried two, three times."
While the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja have all announced their T20I retirements, Jasprit Bumrah clarified that he had no such plans as he is willing to play for a very long time.