Bangladesh's Sobhana Mostari has been shortlisted for the ICC Player of the Month award for January following her stellar performances in the Women's T20 World Cup qualifiers.
The 24-year-old batter played a pivotal role in guiding Bangladesh to an unbeaten title-winning campaign in the qualifiers. Sobhana amassed 229 runs in six matches at an average of 45.80 and an impressive strike rate of 145.85. She also contributed with the ball, claiming a wicket with her off-spin against Papua New Guinea.
Sobhana faces competition from Ireland captain Gabby Lewis and USA pacer Tara Norris for the prestigious accolade.
Lewis led from the front as Ireland secured qualification for the World Cup. Although her highest score of 73 came in a losing effort against Bangladesh, she finished as the tournament's top run-scorer with 276 runs.
Meanwhile, Norris emerged as the leading wicket-taker in the qualifiers, claiming 15 wickets overall, including 11 in six matches played in January. Despite her impressive bowling display, the USA failed to qualify for the World Cup.
Earlier, in November 2023, Nahida Akter became the first Bangladeshi woman cricketer to win the ICC Player of the Month award. No Bangladeshi player has claimed the honour since then.
