Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Jul 13: India skipper Shubman Gill has been shortlisted for the ICC Men's Player of the Month award for June following an outstanding run of performances with the bat, the International Cricket Council announced on Monday.
Gill will compete for the monthly honour alongside Bangladesh all-rounder Mossadek Hossain and New Zealand pacer Nathan Smith, both of whom delivered impressive performances for their respective teams during the month.
The Indian captain enjoyed a prolific June, beginning with a match-winning century in the one-off Test against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh. Gill struck a fluent 126, his 11th Test hundred, helping India secure an innings victory with a knock that featured 15 fours and a six.
He continued his exceptional form in the ODI series, scoring 238 runs across two innings. Gill first produced a rapid 84 off just 66 deliveries in the series opener at Dharamshala before following it up with a superb 154 from 110 balls in Lucknow.
Despite suffering from severe cramps during his innings, Gill accelerated towards the end to guide India to victory. His performances earned him both the Player of the Match and Player of the Series awards as India completed a clean 3-0 sweep of Afghanistan with another win in Chennai.
Bangladesh's Mossadek Hossain also made a strong case for the award after an impressive comeback to international cricket following a four-year absence. The all-rounder played a pivotal role in Bangladesh's landmark 2-1 ODI series victory over Australia and was named Player of the Series.
Mossadek remained unbeaten on 86 in the opening ODI, claimed two wickets, and took a crucial catch as Bangladesh registered only its second-ever ODI win over Australia. He ended the series as Bangladesh's highest run-scorer with 157 runs.
New Zealand fast bowler Nathan Smith completed the three-man shortlist after leading his side's pace attack in a memorable 2-1 Test series triumph over England. Smith claimed a series-best 16 wickets, highlighted by a remarkable 6-70 at Lord's, and was named Player of the Series for his match-winning contributions.