ICC names Ben Stokes, Sikandar Raza and Mitchell Santner as contenders for Player of the Month award

The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the nominees for their Player of the Month award for August on Monday (September 5). Ben Stokes, Sikandar Raza, and Mitchell Santner will compete for the prize in the men's category.

England's Test captain Ben Stokes was one of the key architects of the side's decisive victory in the second Test match against South Africa. The talismanic all-rounder contributed significantly with both bat and ball to help his team win the red-ball clash by an innings and 85 runs.

The 31-year-old received widespread praise for his gutsy knock of 103 in the encounter. He also bagged five wickets in the Test and was adjudged the Player of the Match.

Zimbabwe's veteran all-rounder Sikandar Raza has showcased stunning form this year. The swashbuckler slammed three centuries in the month of August. The seasoned campaigner scored back-to-back tons in the first two ODIs against Bangladesh, helping his team clinch the three-match series.

Raza almost secured a miraculous victory in the final ODI against India, contributing 115 runs off 95 balls for Zimbabwe while chasing a stiff total of 290.

New Zealand's Mitchell Santner dazzled viewers in the second T20I against the Netherlands. The bowling all-rounder was also the stand-in captain of the Blackcaps for the assignment. He batted at No.3 and impressed many with is unbeaten knock of 77.

He also played a major role in New Zealand's ODI series win over West Indies, performing admirably with the ball as well as with the bat. He was named the Player of the Series for his outstanding performances.

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ICC announces nominees for the Women's Player of the Month award for August

Beth Mooney emerged as the top performer with the bat for Australia at the Commonwealth Games. With 179 runs from five matches, she finished as the leading run-scorer in the tournament.

She was instrumental in the team clinching the gold medal at the event, scoring 61 runs off off 41 deliveries in the all-important final against India. She has been named as one of the three nominees for the ICC's Women's Player of the Month award for August.

Star Indian batter Jemimah Rodrigues will also fight for the ICC's monthly award. She was in tremendous form at the Commonwealth Games. The right-handed batter mustered 146 runs from her five appearances in the quadrennial event.

Australia's Tahlia McGrath is also one of the nominees for the ICC award She bagged eight wickets at the Commonwealth games, finishing as the joint second-highest wicket-taker. She also played crucial knocks with the bat for the side against Pakistan (78*) and New Zealand (34).