Bangladesh all-rounder Mehedi Hasan Miraz was named as the International Cricket Council's Men's Player of the Month for April following a tremendous performance against visiting Zimbabwe.
Miraz became only the third player from Bangladesh to win the men's monthly award and the first in over two years.
Shakib al Hasan was the last Bangladesh player to win the award, in March 2023, while Mushfiqur Rahim is the other one to have won it.
Shakib in fact won this accolade twice.
Superb performances with both bat and ball in a two-Test home series against Zimbabwe helped him win the award, his purple patch also helping grab the No 2 spot among all-rounders in the ICC Men's Test Player Rankings for the first time in his career.
The 27-year old was named Player of the Series after finishing with 15 wickets that comprised three five-wicket hauls and knocking up his second Test century (104) in the second match in Chittagong that Bangladesh won by an innings and 106 runs to draw the series 1-1.
Miraz, who was also named Player of the Match in Chittagong, pipped Zimbabwe player Blessing Muzarabani and New Zealand's Ben Sears to clinch the award.
"It's an incredible honor to win the ICC Men's Player of the Month award. The ICC Awards are the ultimate recognition for any cricketer, and to receive this from a global vote means a lot to me," Miraz told the ICC in his immediate reaction.
"Moments like these remind me of my journey - being named Player of the Tournament in the 2016 ICC Under-19 World Cup was a massive encouragement early in my career, and this award feels just as special," he added.
Further saying he is truly delighted to have won this trophy, he added: "This award will be a big source of inspiration for me to keep giving my best and contributing to Bangladesh's success on the world stage."
"As cricketers, we dream of making an impact and bringing joy to our fans. Recognition like this from the ICC motivates me to keep pushing harder and performing consistently for my country."
He however thanked his teammates, coaches, and the fans, saying "this award belongs to all of them too."
Scotland captain Kathryn Bryce, meanwhile, was named as the ICC Women's Player of the Month for April.
For Bryce, her outstanding run at the Qualifier was not enough for her team to make it to the Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 to be hosted by India, but did get her the Player of the Series award.
Both players were crowned following a vote conducted among global fans registered at icc-cricket.com and a specialist panel comprising ICC Hall of Famers, former international players, and media representatives.
