The ICC has nominated three players for the Player of the Month award for June. The list includes two South African stars — Aiden Markram and Kagiso Rabada.
Sports News: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has revealed the three nominees for the Player of the Month for June 2025, with South Africa clearly dominating the selection. According to the latest announcement, Aiden Markram and Kagiso Rabada from South Africa, along with Sri Lankan star batsman Pathum Nissanka, have been included in the race for the award.
South Africa won the historic World Test Championship title last month by defeating Australia. The nominations of Markram and Rabada, who played crucial roles in this title win, seem entirely justified. Meanwhile, Nissanka from Sri Lanka also delivered a stellar performance, playing a significant role in his team's series victory against Bangladesh.
Aiden Markram's Memorable Innings
Aiden Markram made a tremendous contribution to South Africa's victory in the WTC final. Although he didn't score any runs in the first innings, he showed his true brilliance in the second innings. Scoring 136 runs off 207 balls with the help of 14 fours, he led South Africa to a challenging target of 282 runs in the fourth innings.
His partnerships in that innings were also very crucial — first, a 61-run partnership with Wiaan Mulder, and then a 147-run partnership with captain Temba Bavuma, which dashed Australia's hopes of winning. Markram's patience and classic shot selection have made him a b contender for the Player of the Month for June.
Kagiso Rabada's Deadly Bowling
Rabada once again proved to be a match-winner for South Africa. He took a total of 9 wickets in the final match: 5 in the first innings and 4 in the second. Rabada's fast bowling restricted Australia to 212 and 207 runs in the respective innings. Most notably, in this match, Rabada took five wickets in an innings for the 17th time in his career, surpassing the record of South Africa's great bowler Allan Donald. His aggression and precise line and length have placed him among the top performers of June.
Pathum Nissanka's Sri Lankan Magic
Sri Lankan young batsman Pathum Nissanka was also not behind in this race. In the two-match Test series against Bangladesh, he played a key role in his team winning the series. In the first Test played in Galle, Nissanka played a tremendous innings of 187 runs off 256 balls, which included 23 fours and a six. Although the match was drawn, his batting was highly praised.
After this, in the second Test played in Colombo, Nissanka also showed his batting prowess. Scoring 158 runs in the first innings, he provided a b foundation for the team, and Sri Lanka won this Test, thereby clinching the series 1-0. Nissanka was awarded not only the Player of the Match but also the Player of the Series title.
ICC Award Announcement Soon
Now, everyone's eyes are set on who will be crowned the ICC Player of the Month for June. Markram's match-winning innings, Rabada's deadly bowling, or Nissanka's consecutive centuries — all three players delivered exceptional performances in June. The ICC will announce the winner based on voting and an internal panel in a few days. Cricket fans have already begun debating whose performance was more outstanding.
