2 Indians picked as ICC announces Player of the Month nominees for January 2025

On Thursday, February 6, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the nominees for the Men’s and Women’s Player of the Month awards for January 2025. In the Men’s category, the nominees are Pakistan’s Noman Ali, West Indies’ Jomel Warrican, and India’s Varun Chakravarthy.

Pakistan’s 38-year-old left-arm spinner, Noman Ali, delivered outstanding performances during the two-match Test series against the West Indies at home, claiming 16 wickets at an impressive average of 12.62.

He achieved a remarkable ten-wicket haul in the second Test at Multan, where he also made history by becoming the first Pakistani spinner to claim a hat-trick in the longest format of the game.

Meanwhile, West Indies’ Jomel Warrican was equally impressive in the series against Pakistan, claiming 19 wickets in just two games at an outstanding average of nine. Awarded Player of the Series for his efforts, Warrican took ten wickets in the first Test, including a career-best seven for 32 in the second innings.

In the second match, he played a key role in securing a historic win, contributing valuable runs with the bat—scoring 54 runs across two innings. With the ball, the left-arm spinner claimed five for 27 in the second innings, helping West Indies secure a 120-run victory.

The final nominee in the Men’s category is India’s mystery spinner, Varun Chakravarthy, who was in superb form during the five-match T20I series against England at home.

The 33-year-old claimed 14 wickets in five innings at an impressive average of 9.86 and an economy rate of 7.67, including a five-wicket haul. Chakravarthy was named Player of the Series as India clinched the rubber 4-1.

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India's rising star Gongadi Trisha among nominees for Women's Player of the Month

The nominees for the Women’s Player of the Month award for January 2025 are Australia’s Beth Mooney, West Indies’ Karishma Ramharack, and India’s Under-19 star Gongadi Trisha.

Australia's Beth Mooney was in outstanding form during the Women’s Ashes. In three ODIs, she scored 90 runs, including a half-century. Her brilliance continued in the T20I series, where she amassed 213 runs at an impressive strike rate of 146.89.

Mooney's knocks included 75, 44, and a remarkable unbeaten 94 off just 63 balls in Adelaide. Her stellar performances were pivotal in Australia's clean sweep of England in both the T20I and ODI series, helping secure a dominant victory in the 2025 Women’s Ashes.

The next nominee is West Indies' Karishma Ramharack. The 30-year-old spinner claimed eight wickets in three matches during the series against Bangladesh, including a career-best performance of four for 12 in the series decider. Her impressive contribution helped West Indies secure a 2-1 series victory, earning her the Player of the Series award.

India’s Under-19 player, Gongadi Trisha, has been nominated for her exceptional performance in helping India Women win their second consecutive Under-19 T20 World Cup. The right-hander was the tournament’s top run-scorer, amassing 309 runs in seven matches at an average of 77.25.

Notably, 265 of those runs came in January, excluding the final match on February 2. Trisha’s standout innings included a remarkable 110* off 59 balls against Scotland. Additionally, she took seven wickets in the tournament, four of which came in January, earning her the Player of the Tournament award.