Suryakumar Yadav Earns ICC Award Nomination Amid Mixed T20 World Cup Campaign

Suryakumar Yadav (L) & Jay Shah (R) [Source: AFP]

The ICC Player of the Month nominees for January 2026 have been officially revealed, with India's Suryakumar Yadav being nominated for the prestigious award because of his heroic form against New Zealand in the five-match T20I series.

Alongside Yadav, England's Joe Root and New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell have also been nominated for January's Men's Player of the Month award for their exceptional contributions to their teams across formats of the game.

Currently, Suryakumar Yadav is leading the Indian cricket team in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026, where the team has enjoyed an unbeaten run so far in the group stage fixtures, as they are set to clash with South Africa for their inaugural Super 8 stage match on February 22, Sunday.

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Suryakumar Yadav's Accolades Ahead Of ICC Player Of The Month Nominations

Interestingly, Yadav was nominated for the Player of the Month award for January 2026, and this is his first nomination for the award. However, it is worth noting that he has won many ICC accolades earlier.

In 2022 and 2023, he won the ICC Men's T20I Cricketer of the Year award, becoming the first player in history to win it in successive years. He was also selected for the ICC Team of the Year in both 2022 and 2023 for his exceptional performances in T20I cricket during a strong run of form. 

In 2022, Suryakumar Yadav averaged 46.56 with a strike rate of 187.44 from 31 matches, while in 2023, he played 18 T20I matches, averaging 48.87 with a strike rate of 155.96.

Though he had a dip in form after 2023, SKY is looking forward to a solid comeback this year, with his average already crossing 67 at a strike rate of 166, having played only nine matches in the format so far.

SKY Bags ICC Nomination With New Zealand Heroics

Speaking of his nomination, he was selected for the award because of his excellent performance against New Zealand in the five-match T20I series. After a string of poor scores, Yadav struck three half-centuries to lead India to a 4-1 series win.

Yadav amassed a total of 242 runs from five appearances at a strike rate of 196.74 and was also named Player of the Series. 

Notably, his most impressive performance in the series was an unbeaten 82, which helped India chase down New Zealand's total of 208 in just 15.2 overs, marking a record-breaking chase for India in the shortest format of the game.

Joe Root, Daryl Mitchell Follow Suit

Alongside Suryakumar Yadav, England's Joe Root was also nominated for the award. Notably, Root played a key role in England's comeback against Sri Lanka in a three-match ODI series ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026.

Root scored 61 in the opening clash, followed by 75 in the second match and an unbeaten 111 in the final game. His contributions helped England recover from a 0-1 deficit to win the series 2-1. He was named Player of the Series for his 242 runs and two wickets.

Following Joe Root, Daryl Mitchell from New Zealand is also a nominee for January 2026. The New Zealand all-rounder enjoyed a strong start to 2026 after his team secured a 2-1 win against India in the ODI series.

Daryl Mitchell delivered exceptional performances, scoring back-to-back hundreds in the second and third ODIs to overturn India's 1-0 lead and seal the series 2-1.

With a total of 352 runs at an average of 176, Daryl Mitchell was awarded Player of the Series and also rose to the number one spot in the ICC ODI batting rankings during that period.

ICC Women's Player Of The Month Nominees For January 2026 Revealed

The ICC Women’s Player of the Month nominees for January 2026 have also been announced, with Ireland's Gaby Lewis, Bangladesh's Sobhana Mostery and USA's Tara Norris being nominated for the award. 

Sobhana Mostery has been nominated for being the mainstay of Bangladesh's batting line-up in the Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier. 

Gaby Lewis was among the key players who led Ireland Women to secure a spot in the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup through the qualifying tournament. In the six T20Is she played, Gabby scored 251 runs at a strike rate of 124.87.

On the other hand, Sobhana Mostery scored 229 runs in the tournament at an average of 45.80 and a strike rate of 145.85. The exception was Tara Norris from the USA, who, despite missing out on a World Cup spot, earned her nomination. 

She finished as the highest wicket-taker with 15 wickets. In January, Tara claimed 11 wickets from five T20Is, with her standout performance coming against Ireland, where she finished with figures of 3/10.

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