Daryl Mitchell and Sobhana Mostary named ICC Players of the Month for January

New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell and Bangladesh’s Sobhana Mostary have been named the ICC Men’s and Women’s Players of the Month for January, following extraordinary performances on the international stage.

Mitchell was recognised after a stellar comeback in New Zealand’s ODI series against India’s national cricket team. With New Zealand trailing 0-1 in the three-match series, Mitchell turned the tide with back-to-back centuries, an unbeaten 131 in the second ODI followed by 137 in the third.

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His efforts helped New Zealand post a match-winning 337/8 in the final ODI, securing a 2-1 series victory. Across the series, he scored 352 runs at an average of 176 per match, earning him the Player of the Series award and regaining the number one spot in the ICC ODI batting rankings.

In the T20I series that followed, Mitchell added 125 runs in five matches at a strike rate of 186.56, underlining his consistency across formats.

On the women’s side, Mostary was instrumental in Bangladesh’s unbeaten campaign at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier. She scored 229 runs in six matches at an average of 45.80 and a strike rate of 145.85.

Her aggressive batting and remarkable consistency distinguished her from fellow nominees, Ireland’s captain Gaby Lewis and Tara Norris, helping Bangladesh maintain their dominance throughout the tournament.

The ICC highlighted both players’ ability to perform under pressure and influence match outcomes, recognising them as the standout performers of January.