India’s Sanju Samson, Jasprit Bumrah, and South Africa’s Connor Esterhuizen in Contention for ICC Men’s Player of the Month Award
India opener Sanju Samson, fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, and South Africa batter Connor Esterhuizen have been shortlisted for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award for March 2026. Meanwhile, New Zealand captain Amelia Kerr, Australia batter Beth Mooney, and South Africa seam bowler Ayabonga Khaka are in the running for the women’s accolade.
Samson’s impressive form during the latter stages of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which earned him the Player of the Tournament award, has placed him among the contenders alongside Bumrah, who was named Player of the Match in the final. Esterhuizen, a rookie, completes the list after delivering an outstanding debut T20I series in New Zealand, recording one of the best statistics by a player from his country after five T20Is.
Kerr’s exceptional performances in both ODIs and T20Is against Zimbabwe and South Africa make a strong case for her to win the ICC Player of the Month award for the third time. Mooney also had notable performances across both formats against India and the West Indies. Khaka, on the other hand, was the leading wicket-taker in South Africa’s T20I series in New Zealand and followed it up with a remarkable performance in their first ODI.
Men’s Shortlist for ICC Player of the Month Award
Sanju Samson (India)
Samson did not play in the early stages of the tournament but emerged as the standout performer in crucial matches, helping India retain the title. He scored 97 not out against the West Indies in what was effectively a quarter-final in Kolkata. He then followed up with scores of 89 in the semi-final against England in Mumbai and the final against New Zealand in Ahmedabad.
Jasprit Bumrah (India)
In the same set of matches, Bumrah took seven wickets at an average of 12.00 and an economy rate of 7.00. He picked up three wickets in the two matches against the West Indies and England and delivered match-winning figures of four for 15 in four overs against New Zealand in the final.
Connor Esterhuizen (South Africa)
Esterhuizen scored 200 runs at an average of 50 and a strike-rate of 145.98, contributing to South Africa’s 3-2 win in New Zealand. He was named Player of the Series and reached 551 rating points in the ICC Men’s T20I Batting Rankings, the second-highest score after five matches by a South African player. Esterhuizen climbed to 39th in the rankings, the fourth-best by any South African after five matches.
Women’s Shortlist for ICC Player of the Month Award
Amelia Kerr (New Zealand)
The New Zealand skipper, Amelia Kerr, scored 176 runs at a strike-rate of 78.57 in four ODIs during the period while also taking 18 wickets with an economy rate of 3.77. She was the Player of the Series as New Zealand defeated Zimbabwe 3-0 in ODIs, taking seven for 34 in the second match. In six T20Is, she scored 276 runs at a strike-rate of 158.62 and took six wickets. She was also the Player of the Series in New Zealand’s 4-1 T20I series win over South Africa.
Beth Mooney (Australia)
Mooney scored 171 runs in two ODIs – an unbeaten 106 in the final ODI of the series against India in Hobart and 65 against the West Indies in Basseterre. She scored 107 runs at a strike-rate of 128.91 in three T20Is that included a match-winning 79 off 55 deliveries in the first T20I against the West Indies in Kingstown.
Ayabonga Khaka (South Africa)
The South Africa seam bowler Ayabonga Khaka was the leading wicket-taker in their T20I series in New Zealand, grabbing eight wickets in four matches. She followed her consistent performances with an outstanding haul of six for 56 in the first ODI in Christchurch.
