Riding on his superb performance in the ODI series against England last month, ace India top-order batter Shubman Gill has been nominated along with Australia’s Steve Smith and New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips for the ICC ‘Player of the Month’ for February. Gill, who is currently in Dubai with the Indian team for the ongoing Champions Trophy, scored 406 runs, averaging 101.50 at a strike-rate of 94.19 in the five ODIs that he had played in February. Gill hit a purple patch in the three-match series against England, scoring 87 (in Nagpur), 60 (in Cuttack), and 112 (in Ahmedabad) as he was adjudged the ‘Player of the Series’ in the hosts’ 3-0 clean sweep.

Gill then went on to score an unbeaten 101 against Bangladesh in the Champions Trophy, followed by a valuable 46 against Pakistan as India secured a place in the semifinals of the ICC’s showpiece event.

Australia skipper for the Champions Trophy, Smith shone during the Test series against Sri Lanka, scoring 141 and 131 in the two matches his side played there, with a strike-rate of 136.00. He was named ‘Player of the Series’ in recognition of those efforts.

In the one-day series, he scored 12 and 29.

Black Caps’ Phillips scored scored 236 in five ODIs at a strike-rate of 124.21. His three unbeaten knocks helped New Zealand win the tri-series in Pakistan, also involving South Africa. They comprised 106 against Pakistan in Lahore, 28 against South Africa at the same venue, and then 20 against Pakistan in Karachi in the final.

He carried that momentum into the Champions Trophy, beginning with 61 against Pakistan in Karachi, and then another unbeaten innings of 21 against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi.

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