Nominees for ICC Men's Player of the Month

Two outstanding Sri Lankan cricketers join forces with a hard-hitting Australian batter as the nominees for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for September 2024, based on their remarkable performances during the month.

Prabath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka)

Sri Lankan left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya continued his sensational Test form, earning a nomination for September’s Player of the Month award. Jayasuriya played a pivotal role in Sri Lanka’s series triumph over New Zealand, taking nine wickets in both of the Test victories. His stellar performances included a five-wicket haul in each match. In the first Test at Galle, his 5/68 helped secure a dramatic victory, with the tourists falling 63 runs short of their target on the final day. Jayasuriya followed this up with a devastating 6/42 in the second Test, setting the stage for a crushing win to clinch the series. Over the course of September, the 32-year-old took 21 wickets at an average of 27.90 in three Tests, including the second Test against England.

Kamindu Mendis (Sri Lanka)

Kamindu Mendis’ sensational start to his Test career has been nothing short of extraordinary. In September, Mendis played four Tests, amassing 451 runs at an average of 90.20. He contributed significantly to Sri Lanka's win at The Oval in England and their impressive series victory over New Zealand. During the month, Mendis became the first male cricketer to score fifty in each of his first eight Test matches. Additionally, he equalled Don Bradman’s record by reaching 1000 Test runs in just 13 innings, becoming the fastest batter in 75 years to achieve the feat. His standout innings of the month included an unbeaten 182 in Sri Lanka’s mammoth 602/5 declaration in the second Test against New Zealand. Equally, impressive was his fighting 114 in the first Test, which helped rescue his team from a precarious position at 88/3 and ultimately led to a 63-run victory.

Travis Head (Australia)

Australian batter Travis Head reinforced his reputation as one of the top white-ball players in the world with a series of exceptional performances, earning him a spot in the nominations. In September, Head shone as an opener in Australia’s limited-overs matches, producing explosive innings against England and Scotland. In five T20Is, he scored 182 runs at an astonishing strike rate of 245.94, highlighted by a blistering 23-ball 59 against England and an even more remarkable 80 from just 25 balls against Scotland. His performance helped Australia set a record Powerplay total of 113 in a T20I by a full-member nation. Head also excelled in Australia’s 3-2 ODI series win over England, where he was named Player of the Series after scoring 248 runs at an average of 82.66 and taking six wickets, including a match-winning 4/28 in the decisive fifth ODI.

These three cricketers delivered high-impact performances that have made them standout contenders for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award for September 2024. Continuing to excel in his role as a white-ball opener for Australia, Head produced a string of impressive knocks against England and Scotland on his team’s recent tour.

Across his five T20I appearances in the month, Head scored 182 runs at a ridiculous strike rate of 245.94. Those efforts included a 23-ball 59 against England and a phenomenal 25-ball 80 against Scotland, which helped Australia rack up 113 runs in the Powerplay overs – the highest Powerplay total ever registered by a full-member nation in a T20I.

Head’s month got arguably even better as he was named Player of the Series in Australia’s 3-2 ODI victory over England.

Head scored 248 runs at an average of 82.66 in his four innings in the five-match series, hitting at a strike rate of 120.97 and picking up six wickets on the tour to boot, most notably bagging 4/28 in the decisive fifth ODI to help Australia win the series.