Varun Chakravarthy nominated for ICC Player of the Month Award

Indian leg-spinner Varun Chakravarthy has been nominated for the ICC Player of the Month Award for January 2025 after his recent exploits in the T20I series against England. 

Chakravarthy was in insane form in the five-match T20I series against England as he took a record 14 wickets, the most by an Indian in bowler in a bilateral T20I series. He came within touching distance of breaking the all-time record for most wickets in a bilateral T20I series but fell one wicket short of equaling Jason Holder, who had taken 15 in a series.

Chakravarthy has now been nominated for the monthly ICC Award alongside other spinners Jomel Warrican of West Indies and Noman Ali of Pakistan.

Warrican and Noman were clinical in the Test series between Pakistan and West Indies which ended in a 1-1 draw. Warrican took 19 wickets across four innings in the series at an average of 9. He took two five-wicket hauls and a four-wicket haul in the two Tests and was named the Player of the Series. The West Indian was also the highest wicket-taker in the series.

Noman was as penetrative as he has been. He was the second highest-wicket taker as he scalped 16 wickets in four innings with two fifers and one four-wicket haul. Noman also etched his name into the history books when he claimed a



hat-trick in the first Test against the Windies in Multan.

Noman became the first Pakistan spinner to take a hat-trick in Test cricket and only the fifth player from his country to do so. Before him, Wasim Akram, Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Sami and Naseem Shah had taken hat-tricks for Pakistan.

At 38 years and 110 days, Noman is also the second-oldest to take a hat-trick in the Test format. The oldest man to take a hat-trick is Rangana Herath, who achieved the feat when he was 38 years and 139 days old in a Test against Australia in 2016.

Meanwhile, Indian youngster Trisha Gongadi has been nominated for the Player of the Month Award in the women's category. The 19-year-old is one of three players to be nominated for the monthly honour alongside Australian star Beth Mooney and West Indies bowler Karishma Ramharack. 

Trisha had a brilliant U19 World Cup 2025 for the champions India as she slammed 265 runs off six U-19 T20Is at an average of 66.25 and a strike rate of 149.72. She created history by becoming the first player to score a ton in the U19 Women's World Cup.

Meanwhile, Mooney was the star for Australia in the Women's Ashes. She scored 213 runs in three T20Is at an average of 106.50 and a strike rate of 146.89. She scored 90 runs in three ODIs.