The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced its shortlist for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for February 2025, featuring Australian legend Steve Smith, Indian opener Shubman Gill, and New Zealand all-rounder Glenn Phillips. The nominations recognize their stellar performances across various international series, including Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka, India’s home ODIs against England, the tri-nation series in Pakistan, and the of course ICC Champions Trophy.
Steve Smith: A Legend’s Final Hurrah
Australian batting maestro Steve Smith showcased his dominance in the Test series against Sri Lanka, scoring 141 and 131 in two matches at a stunning strike rate of 136.00. His performances earned him the ‘Player of the Series’ award.
Though his ODI outings were modest—12 and 29 in the bilateral series—his final international tournament in the format, the ICC Champions Trophy, saw him score 5 against England and an unbeaten 19 against Afghanistan. However, Smith made an emotional decision when he hung up his ODI boots after a crushing exit from the semifinal.
Shubman Gill: India’s Batting Sensation
Shubman Gill continued his red-hot form in February, amassing 406 runs in five ODIs at an astounding average of 101.50 and a strike rate of 94.19. He starred in India’s home series against England with scores of 87 (Nagpur), 60 (Cuttack), and a match-winning 112 (Ahmedabad), which secured him the ‘Player of the Series’ award.
His performances also propelled him to the No.1 ranking in ICC ODI Rankings.Gill carried his momentum into the ICC Champions Trophy, scoring a brilliant unbeaten 101 against Bangladesh and a valuable 46 against Pakistan
Glenn Phillips: The Black Caps’ Game-Changer
New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips proved his worth as a dependable all-rounder. In five ODIs, he amassed 236 runs at an incredible strike rate of 124.21, with three crucial unbeaten knocks. His contributions were superb in New Zealand’s tri-series triumph in Pakistan, where he notched 106 against Pakistan, 28 against South Africa, and 20 in the final against Pakistan.
Phillips carried this form into the ICC Champions Trophy, scoring 61 against Pakistan in Karachi and an unbeaten 21 against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi. Apart from this, he super natural abilities to literally catch everything around the field is just fascinating to watch. The catches of Muhammad Rizwan and Virat Kohli are two of the best grabs at the ICC Champions Trophy.
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