Shafali Verma, the opener for India, was named in the November ICC Player of the Month shortlist on Friday. Her brilliant 87 and two crucial wickets helped the nation win its first ICC Women’s World Cup.
Drafted into the team as an injury substitute, Shafali won Player of the Match and is now one of the three nominees for the monthly award after putting up a game-winning all-around performance in the final versus South Africa in Mumbai.
Thipatcha Putthawong of Thailand and Esha Oza of the United Arab Emirates, who both excelled in the first ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy held in Bangkok, join her on the women’s list.
Oza, the captain of the United Arab Emirates, won Player of the Tournament after amassing 187 runs at a strike rate of 137.50 and taking seven wickets in seven Twenty20 Internationals.
With 15 wickets, including a four-wicket burst against Scotland in the final to help Thailand win the title, Putthawong finished as the joint leading wicket-taker.
The shortlist for the men’s division included Pakistani all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz, Bangladeshi left-arm spinner Taijul Islam, and South African off-spinner Simon Harmer.
With 17 wickets at an incredible average of 8.94, including a game-winning 6/37 in the second Test, Harmer was crucial to South Africa’s historic 2-0 Test series victory against India, their first in the nation in 25 years. He was named Player of the Match and Player of the Series due to his dominance.
With 13 wickets at 26.30, Taijul spearheaded Bangladesh’s 2-0 victory over Ireland and won Player of the Series.
During Pakistan’s successful Tri-Series campaign against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, Nawaz excelled with both bat and ball. To earn another Player of the Series award, he scored 104 ODI runs at 52.00, added 11 T20I wickets at 12.72, and achieved match-winning figures of 3/17 in the final.
The winners will now be chosen by an impartial ICC Voting Academy and fans from all over the world. Fan voting is available on the ICC website.
