Sonal Dinusha beats Hasan Mahmud to win ICC player of the month

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Sri Lankan young batter Sonal Dinusha has been named the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for August, edging out Bangladeshi pacer Hasan Mahmud and England’s Ollie Robinson.

Bangladesh made history in August by securing their first-ever Test victory on Australian soil, driven by a stellar 9-wicket haul from Hasan Mahmud in the Darwin Test.

However, Dinusha’s extraordinary batting performance against India overshadowed the competition.

The 25-year-old left-handed Sri Lankan batter dominated the two-match Test series against India, scoring three centuries across four innings. He notched 100 and 84 runs in the first Test at Galle.

In the second Test at Colombo’s Sinhalese Sports Club ground, Dinusha scored 103 in the first innings and an unbeaten 133 in the second while following on, saving Sri Lanka from certain defeat and securing a draw.

With this feat, Dinusha became only the third batter in Test history to score centuries in both innings of a Test match while following on.

“Receiving this recognition so early in my career means a lot to me. I am truly grateful to the ICC for this honor. The series against India will always hold a special place in my heart,” Dinusha said upon receiving the award.

In the women’s category, Isle of Man’s Lucy Barnett won the vote against Thailand’s Suleeporn Laomi and Nannapat Koncharoenkai. Barnett accumulated 257 runs at an average of 128.50 and a strike rate of 178.47 across four matches in the Continental Cup T20, including a destructive 123 off 64 balls against Norway. She was also the tournament’s top run-scorer and bagged four wickets with her off-spin to lead her team to the final.

“Winning the ICC Player of the Month award feels incredible. I am immensely proud to have made history for the Isle of Man,” Barnett expressed.