Dubai, May 14 (IANS) Bangladesh pacer Nahid Rana and South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt have been named the ICC Men’s and Women’s Players of the Month, respectively, following impressive performances in recent international assignments.

Rana secured the men’s honour for the first time after playing a pivotal role in Bangladesh’s 2-1 home series victory over New Zealand. The young fast bowler finished the series with eight wickets at an economy rate of 4.46 and was adjudged Player of the Series.

His standout performance came in the second ODI in Mirpur, where he claimed 5 for 32 to help Bangladesh register a commanding 55-run victory. He also chipped in with two wickets in the deciding game in Chattogram.

Rana finished ahead of Oman skipper Jatinder Singh and UAE seamer Ajay Kumar in the voting process.

“It’s a great feeling to be named the ICC Player of the Month after performing well against a world-class side like New Zealand. To deliver on home soil made the series even more special, and it was a series that I will always cherish. I’m grateful to my teammates for their constant support and belief in me throughout. I hope to keep contributing to more victories and memorable moments for my team,” Rana said.

Meanwhile, Wolvaardt continued her remarkable run by clinching her third ICC Player of the Month award in the last seven months, having previously won the accolade in October and December last year.

The South African opener produced a string of consistent performances across formats during the white-ball series against New Zealand women and India women. She scored back-to-back knocks of 69 in the final two ODIs against New Zealand before dominating the home series against India with one century and three half-centuries as South Africa claimed a 4-1 triumph.

Wolvaardt was chosen ahead of Sri Lanka batter Imesha Dulani and Brazil all-rounder Laura Cardoso. On the honour, she said, “It feels incredible to win a third ICC Player of the Month award in such a short span of time, and I hope to continue batting with the same confidence and consistency. This has been one of the most enjoyable phases of my career, and it’s especially satisfying to have achieved success across formats.

“What makes this award even more special is that these performances came against the reigning World Cup and T20 World Cup champions, which is something I truly cherish. I’m grateful to my team-mates for their constant support, and I hope to carry this form into the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup next month in England and Wales.”

–IANS

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