Rishabh Pant Wins ICC Player Of The Month Award For Jan 2021

India wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant on Monday won the ICC Men's Player of the Month award for January 2021. Pant won the award for his performances in the two Tests against Australia where he scored a 97 in Sydney and an unbeaten 89 in Brisbane that led India to a historic 2-1 series win Down Under.

"I am delighted to be receiving the inaugural ICC Men's Player of the Month Award. For any sportsperson, contributing to a team win is the ultimate reward but such initiatives help motivate youngsters such as myself to do better each time," said Pant as per an ICC media release.

"I dedicate this award to every member of Team India that contributed to our victory in Australia and also thank all my fans who voted for me," he added.

Meanwhile, South Africa's Shabnim Ismail was named the ICC Women's Player of the Month for her performances across three ODIs and two T20Is. Ismail took seven wickets in the victorious ODI series against Pakistan, before taking five wickets in the second T20I against the same opposition.

"Winning the ICC Women's Player of the Month in January just shows that all the hard work I put in during the lockdown has paid off for me. This accolade would not have been possible if it were not for my teammates and I am grateful and thankful for all your support," said Ismail.

The ICC on January 27 had announced the introduction of the 'ICC Player of the Month' awards to recognize and celebrate the best performances of both male and female cricketers across all forms of international cricket throughout the year.

The three nominees for each of the categories are shortlisted based on on-field performances and overall achievements during the period of that month (the first to the last day of each calendar month).

This shortlist is then voted on by the independent ICC Voting Academy and fans around the world.