Dubai: Virat Kohli for the first time nominated for the ICC Player of the Month awards for his heroics with the bat in the Twenty20 World Cup currently being held in Australia.
India’s talisman Kohli has registered 205 runs across the calendar month, showing glimpses of his very best form. He looked at ease in scoring an unbeaten 62 against a dogged Netherlands, however his highlight came in the era-defining innings played in front of a full house in Melbourne as his side claimed a historic victory against rivals Pakistan. The iconic display saw Kohli rally his side from 31 for four to chase down the 160 target on the final ball, thanks to an unforgettable score of 82 not out from 53 balls.
Sparkling form
Also in the shortlist is South Africa’s David Miller, who impressed in the lead up to the tournament, and continued his sparkling form in Australia, including during his side’s victory over India and Sikandar Raza of Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwean seeks to reclaim the award he won in August thanks to a series of Player of the Match performances in the opening stages of the T20 World Cup.
ICC Women’s Player of the Month category includes, Jemimah Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma following their Asia Cup heroics for India. Rodrigues ended the tournament as the leading run-scorer while teammate Sharma was named Player of the Tournament and joint leading wicket-taker. Nida Dar is the final candidate in contention for claiming the award for October as her handy contributions with bat and ball drove Pakistan to the semi-finals of the same event.
