The player of the series winner in the BAN vs. NZ series, Nasum Ahmed is the favourite to win the ICC Player of the Month for September. The ICC has nominated the left-arm spinner for the award. Nasum Ahmed was brilliant with the ball in Bangladesh’s recent T20I series against New Zealand, which they won 3-2. The other two nominees are Jaskaran Malhotra of the United States and Nepal’s leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane. Why Nasum Ahmed is the favourite to win the coveted award for the month of September is discussed in this article.
ICC Player of the Month for September: The Nominees
Nasum Ahmed, Jaskaran Malhotra, and Sandeep Lamichhane have been selected for the September edition of the ICC Men’s best player award. They all performed well for their respective nations last month. Therefore, they are worthy of this honour. Let’s take a closer look at how they performed during September.
Nasum Ahmed (Bangladesh)
Left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed put a lot of pressure on the New Zealand batting order during the bilateral T20I series in September. Because of the slow nature of the wicket, Bangladesh skipper Mahmudullah Riyad chose him mostly to open the innings. Nasum can bowl wicket to wicket to prevent batsmen from freeing their arms for big shots. With this quality, Nasum did an excellent job and helped Bangladesh with regular breakthroughs.
Overall, Nasum Ahmed bagged 8 wickets in the 5-match T20I contest, guiding Bangladesh to their first-ever bilateral T20I series victory over New Zealand. Nasum’s best bowling figure (4/10) came in the crucial fourth match of the series. Bangladesh clinched the series with a game to spare thanks to his outstanding bowling. The left-arm spinner was awarded player of the series for his outstanding performance in the bilateral contest. He is a strong contender for the ICC’s best player of the month award.
Jaskaran Malhotra (USA)
USA’s hard-hitting batsman Jaskaran Malhotra impressed the crowd with a mesmerizing performance in a One-Day International match against Papua New Guinea. He hit an undefeated 173* off 124 balls, including six sixes in a single over. He became the fourth player in history to accomplish the feat after Herschelle Gibbs, Yuvraj Singh, and Kieran Pollard.
This wicket-keeper batsman scored 261 runs at an average of 87 in six ODI matches for the USA in September. ICC has honoured Malhotra by nominating him for the best player of the month award. Earning a spot among the candidates is a huge accomplishment for Jaskaran Malhotra.
Sandeep Lamichhane (Nepal)
Talented Nepalese leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane has become a household name in T20 cricket after making his debut in the IPL 2018. Lamichhane is a special talent who has evolved as a true performer over time. He was Nepal’s most important bowler in the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 competition in September.
Sandeep Lamichhane took 18 wickets with an average of 7.38. Lamichhane’s best ODI bowling performance (6/11) came against Papua New Guinea last month, earning him a spot among the ICC’s best player of the month nominees.
Verdict
After analyzing individual performances of the nominated players for their respective countries in the month of September, it is clear that Bangladesh’s left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed has the upper hand over the other two candidates for the coveted ICC’s award. Nasum was instrumental in Bangladesh’s triumph over New Zealand in the Twenty20 series early last month. On the other hand, Sandeep Lamichhane was the most successful player for Nepal in the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 competition. USA’s Jaskaran Malhotra also exhibited some spectacular batting last month. The best player is expected to receive the ICC Player of the Month for September.
Source: United News of Bangladesh