ICC Men’s Player of the Month for September 2024 revealed
A rising Sri Lanka Test star has become the first player to win the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award twice in 2024.
Kamindu Mendis beat out tough competition from Sri Lanka teammate Prabath Jayasuriya and Australia's Travis Head to claim the monthly award, with the stylish left-hander adding to the honour he claimed in March earlier this year.
Mendis played in four Tests during the month, scoring 451 runs at an average of 90.20, helping his side to a consolation win at The Oval in England before playing his part in a superb series triumph against New Zealand back in Sri Lanka.
Test match No. 8⃣, century No.5⃣
— ICC (@ICC) September 27, 2024
Kamindu Mendis' dream run continues 🔥 #WTC25 | 📝 #SLvNZ: https://t.co/0bFVQzaPgu pic.twitter.com/8PuFgX7QQo
Mendis was thrilled to win the award for the second time this year and is already working hard on achieving even greater things within his cricketing career.
“I am honoured to be once again chosen as the ICC Men’s Player of the Month, and this accolade brings me immense happiness and pride, as I believe all the hard work that was put into becoming the player that I am today is starting to pay off and being recognised consistently in the global stage," he said.
"This recognition gives me further strength to continue my good work on the cricketing field and aspire for bigger achievements, thus helping my team win games and bring glory to our country and happiness to our fans."
A hometown hundred for Kamindu Mendis, who equalled a Test record in the process 👏
— ICC (@ICC) September 19, 2024
His achievement here 👉 https://t.co/azb5NT3lsk#WTC25 | #SLvNZ pic.twitter.com/MrTcnDXp05
During September, Mendis became the first men’s player in history to pass fifty in each of the first eight matches of his Test career.
And during the month he became the fastest batter in 75 years to bring up 1000 Test runs – doing so in just eight Tests and matching Don Bradman’s effort of reaching the landmark in 13 innings.
In elite company 🎉#WTC25 | #SLvNZ
— ICC (@ICC) September 28, 2024
More on Kamindu Mendis' record-equalling innings ➡ https://t.co/EOawuPf7Qb pic.twitter.com/7yEo0hG7EC
His biggest score of the month was a dominant 182* in Sri Lanka’s mammoth first-innings total of 602/5 declared in the second Test against New Zealand, a knock that helped set up a convincing win.
But arguably more impressive was his 114 in the first innings of the first Test of that series.
His side had been in trouble at 88/3 when Mendis came in to bat, with Angelo Mathews also having retired hurt. No other batter on either side reached triple figures in the match, which Sri Lankan went on to win by just 63 runs.