Ravichandran Ashwin among 3 nominees for ICC Player of the Month for February

Seasoned Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is among three nominees chosen by the International Cricket Council for the ICC Player of the Month for February.

The ICC recently introduced the ICC Player of the Month award to recognise and celebrate the best performances of both male and female cricketers across all forms of international cricket.

For February, along with Ravichandran Ashwin, England’s Test skipper Joe Root and West Indian batsman Kyle Mayers have been shortlisted.

Ravichandran Ashwin had a memorable February, picking up 24 wickets at a fabulous average of 15.7. He picked up five-wicket hauls in the first two Tests against England in Chennai.

Even as Axar Patel dominated the pink-ball Test in Ahmedabad, Ravichandran Ashwin played his part, claiming seven wickets in the Test. During the course of the Test, which concluded in two days, he also became the second-fastest bowler to reach 400 Test wickets.

The off-spinner impressed with the bat as well. He scored his fifth Test hundred in the second Test against England in Chennai to cap off a memorable all-round show.

England skipper Root also makes the shortlist. He has been nominated for the ICC Player of the Month following his stupendous 218 in the opening Test against India in Chennai. Root created history with the knock, becoming the first player to score a double hundred in his 100th Test, helping England win the Test by 227 runs.

The 30-year-old also impressed with the ball. He claimed spectacular figures of 5 for 8 in India’s first innings of the pink-ball Test. England, however, went on to lose the Test by ten wickets.

The third contender for the ICC Player of the Month is newcomer Kyle Mayers. The West Indian batsman broke numerous records with his unbeaten 210 on Test debut against Bangladesh in Chattogram.

Kyle Mayers’ brilliance saw the Windies chase down 395 to win the Test. He looked good in the first innings of that Test as well, contributing a fluent 40.

Who’s your ICC Men’s Player of the Month for February?Joe Root 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 218 Test runs at 55.5 & six wickets at 14.16R Ashwin 🇮🇳 106 Test runs at 35.2 & 24 wickets at 15.7Kyle Mayers 🌴 261 Test runs at 87Vote here 👉 https://t.co/FBb5PMqMm8 pic.twitter.com/Mwiw5fuauy

— ICC (@ICC) March 2, 2021

Rishabh Pant and Shabnim Ismail won the inaugural ICC Player of the Month awards

India’s Rishabh Pant and South Africa’s Shabnim Ismail won the ICC Player of the Month for January 2021 for Men’s and Women’s cricket respectively.

Pant was rewarded for smashing 97 in Sydney and a match-winning unbeaten 89 in Brisbane, which saw India win consecutive Test series Down Under.

Ismail was honoured for her memorable limited-overs showing against Pakistan. She took seven wickets in the ODI series against Pakistan and five wickets against the same team in the second T20I.

How the ICC Player of the Month is decided

Three nominees for each of the categories are shortlisted based on their on-field performances and overall achievements during a month.

The shortlist is then voted on by the independent ICC Voting Academy and fans around the world. The ICC Voting Academy comprises prominent members of the cricket fraternity, which includes senior journalists, former players, broadcasters and some members of the ICC Hall of Fame.

Who’s your ICC Women's Player of the Month for February?Tammy Beaumont 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 231 ODI runs at 231.00Brooke Halliday 🇳🇿 110 ODI runs at 55 & two wickets at 20.00Nat Sciver 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 63 ODI runs at 48.00 & five wickets at 16.6Vote here 👉 https://t.co/lZfMwphyiK pic.twitter.com/fORScVvxZ9

— ICC (@ICC) March 2, 2021

The Voting Academy submit their votes by email, which have a weightage of 90%.

Additionally, fans registered with the ICC are able to vote via the ICC website once the shortlisted players are announced; their votes have a 10% weightage. Based on the cumulative votes of the Voting Academy and fans, winners are announced every second Monday of a month by the ICC.