Rishabh Pant among 3 nominees for inaugural ICC Men’s Player of the Month Award
Rishabh Pant has earned a nomination for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month Award for January. He is among three batsmen nominated for the accolade, together with England skipper Joe Root and Ireland's Paul Stirling.
Rishabh Pant scored 245 Test runs in January, at an average of 81.66. He started the year with a brilliant 97 in the third Test in Sydney against Australia.
Pant's counter-attacking style pegged back the Aussie bowlers and forced them to go on the defensive, as India pulled off a miraculous draw.
The 23-year-old also scored 89* in the second innings of the series decider at the Gabba, guiding India to a historic three-wicket win in Brisbane.
The youngster earned plaudits for his performances in Australia, finishing as India’s leading run-scorer in the series.
Rishabh Pant’s confidence and controlled aggression were hailed by many experts, as the wicket-keeper silenced critics doubting his place in Test cricket. He will next be in action when England take on India in the four-match Test series starting February 5.
Rishabh Pant faces competition from Root and Sterling
Apart from Rishabh Pant, England skipper Joe Root has also been nominated for the Player of the Month award. Root was in sublime touch against Sri Lanka, notching up 426 runs in two Tests at an average of 106.50.
He scored centuries in both Tests, including a stunning 228 in the first match.
Paul Stirling rounds out the Top 3, with the Irishman scorings runs for fun against Afghanistan and UAE. In five ODIs, Stirling scored 420 runs at an astounding average of 105.
The opener finished as the top scorer in both the series, scoring three centuries in the process.
How can Rishabh Pant win the award?
The three-man shortlist will be voted on by the ICC Voting Academy. The Academy consists of prominent members from the cricket fraternity including journalists, broadcasters etc.
The Voting Academy’s share constitutes 90% of the final vote. Fans registered with the ICC hold 10% of the vote, and they can vote for the shortlisted players via the ICC website.