Shubman Gill, Siraj in shortlist for Men's Player of the Month for January 2023

Dubai, Feb 7 (IANS) India's Shubman Gill and Mohammad Siraj, who had tremendous series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand, along with Black Caps' opener Devon Conway have been shortlisted for the ICC Men's Player of the Month awards for January 2023.

The shortlist was announced following a blockbuster month of cricket which included a host of bilateral cricket across the globe.

The ICC Player of the Month awards celebrate the outstanding cricketers on the international stage from the previous calendar month, and the lineups for January 2023 feature a blend of established international performers and exciting new talent hoping to claim the awards.

Included in the men's Player of the Month shortlist, the talented batter Gill dazzled with recent ODI performances against Sri Lanka and New Zealand, registering two centuries and one double-century.

Gill secured his first nomination for the award on the back of a superb month, most notably in ODI cricket. Scoring 567 ODI runs during the period at an astonishing average of 113.40. His entertaining and powerful strokeplay saw him hit three figures on three occasions. In a month full of highlights.

Arguably his best outing in this period was a glittering 208 not out in the series opener against New Zealand in Hyderabad, coming in just 149 balls with 28 boundaries. As well as his successful ODI exploits, Gill churned out 76 runs in T20I cricket during the month.

Mohammed Siraj continues to rocket up the ICC Men's ODI Player Rankings and reached the summit for bowlers in January thanks to back-to-back four-wicket hauls against the same opposition.

Siraj's rise to the top of the ICC Men's ODI bowler rankings has been nothing short of meteoric.

Having only made one appearance in ODI's before last year, Siraj has been a constant performer in the past 12 months, earning him a spot in the recently announced ICC Men's ODI Team of the Year for 2022, and now finds himself at the top of the rankings after another excellent month.

Siraj played in five ODIs during January, against Sri Lanka and New Zealand, taking 14 wickets at a remarkable average of 10.57 which included back-to-back four-wicket hauls against the two touring sides.

Completing the men's shortlist for January is New Zealand opener Devon Conway, who started the month scoring a Test century in Pakistan, and ended with another three-figure score, this time in ODIs, in India.

Conway has become a multi-format talisman for New Zealand in recent years, and he started in 2023 in a similar style. The opener, who was the ICC Men's Player of the Month back in June 2021, scored almost 500 runs during the period, with centuries in Test cricket and ODI cricket against strong opposition.

Karachi saw Conway's first and second centuries of the month -- a fine 122 not out in the dramatic second Test against Pakistan was followed up with a gritty 101 in a convincing ODI win on a tricky pitch. The opener then carried this form into the series against India, where he ended the month with a brisk 138 from 100 balls where he provided strong resistance against an impressive India bowling attack.