Jasprit Bumrah and Smriti Mandhana clinch ICC Player of the Month Award for June

Jasprit Bumrah, Smriti Mandhana, ICC Player of the Month

The month of June proved to be historically successful for Indians as the national team won the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. This joy is doubled with both Jasprit Bumrah and Smriti Mandhana have been declared as the ICC Players of the Month (June) for their excellent performance. 

India’s ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who was adjudged the Player of the Tournament in the T20 World Cup 2024, won the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for June rightfully so. His exceptional bowling and wicket-taking ability proved pivotal in India’s path to the championship. In the USA and Caribbean, he scalped 15 wickets with a brilliant economy rate of 4. 17. 

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Jasprit Bumrah started with a 3-wicket haul in his first match against Ireland. He conceded only 6 runs. Burah repeated his brilliant performance against arch-rivals Pakistan and took 3 wickets for 14 runs in 3 overs. Although he had no wickets to show in India’s third group stage match against the USA, he returned to form in the Super 8 claiming a total of 6 wickets in three matches. He extended this performance into the knockout stage bowling 2 overs for 2/12 in the semi-final against England and 4 overs for 2/18, in the final against South Africa. 

Jasprit Bumrah said after accepting the award wished to thank his family, management, teammates, trainers, and fans.

Smriti Mandhana clinched her maiden ICC Women’s Player of the Month award for June. A splendid spree in the ODIs and Test cricket against South Africa brought out the best of her talent and it was evident as India crushed Proteas in both formats. 

Mandhana made a name for herself as one of the world’s best openers at only 27 years of age. Especially in the recently concluded ODI series against South Africa played in Bengaluru, she was almost unstoppable. She smashed a century in her first two ODIs. In the first ODI, she scored 136 runs and 113 in the second but in the third, she remained mature and played a good knock of 90 runs which ensured that India won the series. 

Smriti Mandhana continued her splendid form in a one-off Test match against South Africa at Chennai. Batting with the explosive Shafali Verma, she formed a record-opening partnership of 292 runs, on which India was able to stack on a huge total of 603/6 in the first innings. Mandhana played a splendid knock of 149 runs for just 161 balls. India was able to create a comprehensive 10-wicket win at the beginning of the third session of the fourth day of the test match.

Over the moon with the award, Mandhana said she wanted to retain this form and remain a valuable asset to the team in all three formats. Her performance and also Bumrah’s performance proves the existence of good cricketing talents in Indian cricket.