On Tuesday, November 7, the International Cricket Council (ICC) unveiled an impressive lineup of nominees for the Men’s Player of the Month award for October. The list of nominees features two contemporary cricket stars: South African wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock, Indian fast-bowling maestro Jasprit Bumrah, and the emerging sensation Rachin Ravindra from New Zealand.
The inclusion of these three players in the nominations is hardly surprising, given their outstanding performances in the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023 in India. Indian opener Shubman Gill had previously claimed the prestigious award for September, showcasing his brilliance in the Asia Cup and the three-match ODI series against Australia.
Here is a closer look at the achievements of the three nominees during the month of October:
Quinton de Kock (South Africa): Quinton de Kock, who had declared the ODI World Cup 2023 as his farewell to the format, left no room for regrets. He commenced his campaign with exceptional centuries against Sri Lanka and Australia, and then added a third century against Bangladesh in Mumbai.
Throughout the month of October, he amassed a total of 431 runs in six matches, maintaining an impressive average of nearly 72. Additionally, he demonstrated his exceptional wicket-keeping skills by taking 10 catches and executing a stumping with his customary precision.
November kicked off with de Kock’s fourth century in the 2023 World Cup, where New Zealand bore the brunt of his brilliance. He now stands alongside Kumar Sangakkara and Rohit Sharma as one of the few batters to achieve four or more centuries in a single World Cup edition.
Rachin Ravindra (New Zealand): Rachin Ravindra’s inclusion in the World Cup opener for New Zealand against England was partially due to an injury to Lockie Ferguson. However, he seized the opportunity by delivering a remarkable unbeaten century, propelling the defending champions to a convincing victory by nine wickets.
Ravindra’s exceptional performance made him indispensable to the team, earning him the status of the tournament’s standout discovery. In October, he concluded his contributions with another remarkable century against Australia, nearly leading the Blackcaps to a thrilling chase of 389 runs in Dharamsala.
As a batting all-rounder, Ravindra amassed 406 runs in six matches during October, maintaining an impressive average of 81.20, in addition to contributing with three wickets.
Jasprit Bumrah (India): Jasprit Bumrah, who returned from an injury, continued to display his exceptional skills during the World Cup in October. In six matches during the month, he secured a remarkable 14 wickets with an outstanding average of 15.07 and an economical economy rate of 3.91.
Notable among his performances was a stellar 4/39 against Afghanistan and a mesmerizing spell against Pakistan. His slower delivery to dismiss Mohammad Rizwan and a reverse-swinging delivery to dismiss Shadab Khan stood out as some of the tournament’s best deliveries.