In-form New Zealand cricketer Rachin Ravindra bagged the ICC Men's Player of the Month for October 2023 on Friday, November 10. The rising youngster all but confirmed New Zealand's place in the World Cup 2023 semi-finals with an impressive performance on Thursday and now celebrates it with a maiden ICC award.
The 23-year-old spin all-rounder overcame the challenge from India's Jasprit Bumrah and South Africa's Quinton de Kock to claim the award. Rachin has been sensational in the ongoing World Cup in India with 565 runs and five wickets and has attracted the cricket world's attention.
In October, the left-handed batter started the World Cup by smashing an unbeaten hundred in the tournament opener against champions England. He finished the red-hot month by adding another brilliant hundred against Australia on October 28 but unfortunately, it resulted in the team's narrow defeat while chasing a huge 389-run target.
Rachin also registered fifties against India and Netherlands and took three wickets in October. Bumrah took 14 wickets in seven ODI innings last month and de Kock has smashed 550 runs in eight World Cup innings to boost South Africa to the semis.
"I'm very grateful to win this award," Ravindra told ICC. "It's been a special month personally and for the team. Being able to play a World Cup in India has been incredibly special. Being backed by the team helps a lot, being able to go out there with a lot of freedom, and play your natural game. The lucky thing is the wickets have been really nice to bat on, suits my game in terms of being positive and taking the game on."
Meanwhile, the star West Indies captain Hayley Matthews bagged the ICC Women's Player of the Month award for amazing performances in October 2023. She took the month by storm by smashing 310 runs in three T20I innings against the top-ranked Australian team and also picked five wickets to beat Bangladesh's Nahida Akter and New Zealand all-rounder Amelia Kerr for the prestigious award.
