Sri Lankan duo crowned ICC Players of the Month

Sri Lanka's Dunith Wellalage and Harshitha Samarawickrama were named as the ICC Players of the Month for August 2024 by the International Cricket Council on Monday.

The rare double for Sri Lanka comes after Wellalage excelled in a home ODI series against India and Samarawickrama hit a purple patch on a tour of Ireland.

The only previous instance of players from the same country winning the awards the same month was when Jasprit Bumrah and Smriti Mandhana were named the Players of the Month in June this year.

Wellalage won the coveted monthly award ahead of South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj and West Indies fast bowler Jayden Seales, who were the others shortlisted.

Wellalage won the award after a Player of the Series performance that helped his side to a 2-0 ODI series win over India. The 31-year-old left-hander had scores of 67 not out, 39 and two, while also picking up seven wickets in the series including a haul of five for 27 in the third match.

This is the fifth time that a Sri Lanka player has won the men’s award, the previous winners being Angelo Mathews (May 2022), Prabath Jayasuriya (July 2022), Wanindu Hasaranga (June 2023) and Kamindu Mendis (March 2024).

Wellalage was elated at winning the award and said that the award comes as a great encouragement.

"This is great news for me and brings immense satisfaction, as this recognition gives me further strength to continue doing the good work I do as a player and contribute to my team to reach excellence in the field," the spin all-rounder said.

Samarawickerama, who edged out the Ireland duo of Orla Prendergast and Gaby Lewis, had a fine run on a tour of Ireland that saw her become only the third woman cricketer from Sri Lanka to notch a century in ODIs.

The 26-year-old left-hander aggregated 151 runs in the two T20Is played in Dublin at a strike rate of 169.66, which included a match-winning 86 not out off 45 balls in the first match. She scored 172 in three ODIs in Belfast at a strike rate of 82.69 including a knock of 105 in the second match.

Samarawickrama is only the second Sri Lanka player to win the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award. Captain Chamari Athapaththu has won the award three times – in September 2024, May 2024 and July 2024.

Samarawickrama said this recognition was very important since it came less than three weeks before the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024.

"I am extremely happy with this recognition, which I consider a new high in my career. It certainly gives me a lot of confidence ahead of the big competition, the Women's T20 World Cup," she said.