Rishabh Pant, Shabnim Ismail win inaugural ICC Player of the Month awards

India’s wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has won the inaugural ICC Men’s Player of the Month award. The International Cricket Council (ICC) made the announcement on social media.

Also read: Rishabh Pant to donate match fee towards Uttarakhand rescue operations

Pant won the award following his outstanding performance last month in the Test against Australia. He scored 97 in Sydney and an unbeaten 89 in Brisbane, boosting India’s incredible win last month. 

“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,” Pant said in an ICC release, PTI reported.

He dedicated his award to the team and thanked his fans who voted for him.

Also read: Cheteshwar Pujara has no qualms about Rishabh Pant’s batting style, but feels ‘balancing out’ important

Meanwhile, South Africa’s Shabnim Ismail won the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award for her performance in the ODIs and T20s last month.