Ahmedabad: India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav signals for a DRS review during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 match between India and Netherlands in Ahmedabad district of Gujarat, Wednesday, February 18, 2026. (IANS)
Dubai, February 21 (IANS) The International Cricket Council (ICC) has named Daryl Mitchell, Joe Root, and Suryakumar Yadav as contenders for the Men’s Player of the Month for January. These players have been exceptional, making notable contributions with both bat and ball during a busy month of cricket.
New Zealand star Mitchell had a strong start to the year, guiding his team to a 2-1 victory in India during the ODI series. The all-rounder scored consecutive centuries in the second and third matches, enabling New Zealand to come back from a 0-1 series deficit.
Mitchell scored 352 runs at an average of 176 against India, earning him the Player of the Series award and the No. 1 spot in the ICC ODI batting rankings. Additionally, he scored 125 runs at a strike rate of 186.56 in the five-match T20I series against India.
Joe Root played a crucial role in England's comeback victory against Sri Lanka in the three-match ODI series. Improving with every game, Root scored 61 in the first match, increased his contribution with 75 in the second, and scored an unbeaten 111 in the final, helping England overcome a 0-1 series deficit to win 2-1.
He was named Player of the Series, scoring 242 runs and taking two wickets. Root also brought a rare spark to the challenging Ashes 2025/26 series against Australia. Although the hosts ultimately secured a 4-1 series victory, Root's 160 in the first innings of the Sydney Test highlighted his brilliance.
Suryakumar Yadav found his rhythm just before the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, delivering an outstanding performance against New Zealand in the five-match T20I series.
After a period of poor form where he couldn't score 50 in 25 matches, Yadav ended it by making three half-centuries, helping India secure a 4-1 victory. He scored a total of 242 runs across five games, with a strike rate of 196.74, earning him the Player of the Series award.
The key performance occurred in the second match, where Suryakumar scored an unbeaten 82, guiding India to surpass New Zealand's total of 208 in only 15.2 overs. This marked India's second-highest successful chase in the shortest format of the game.
