Varun Chakaravarthy Nominated for ICC Men’s Player of the Month Award
India’s spinner Varun Chakaravarthy has been nominated for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award for January 2025 following a standout performance in the new year.
Dubai: India’s spinner Varun Chakaravarthy has been nominated for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award for January 2025 following a standout performance in the new year.
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Chakaravarthy will compete against two other spinners—Jomel Warrican of West Indies and Pakistan’s Noman Ali—for the prestigious monthly honour.
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Chakaravarthy’s Brilliant Form in January
Chakaravarthy continued his remarkable form since returning to the Indian team in October 2024, featuring in four T20Is against England at home in January. His bowling was highly effective from the start, with English batters struggling to read his spin.
In the opening match at Eden Gardens, Chakaravarthy took 3 wickets for 23 runs, earning the Player of the Match award. In Chennai, despite conceding 38 runs, he claimed the vital wickets of Harry Brook and Jamie Overton. It was in Rajkot during the third T20I that he truly shone, spinning his web around the English batters, taking 5 wickets for just 24 runs.
He added two more wickets in the fourth T20I in Pune, finishing with a total of 12 wickets at an average of 9.41 and an exceptional economy rate of 7.01.
Jomel Warrican’s Career-Best Performance
Jomel Warrican delivered a career-best performance in Pakistan, playing a key role in West Indies’ series draw against the Asian side. On the spin-friendly pitches of Multan, Warrican caused significant problems for the hosts.
In the first Test, he claimed career-best bowling figures of 10/101 and scored an unbeaten 31, though West Indies fell to a 127-run defeat. Warrican bounced back in the second Test with four wickets in the first innings and followed it with a five-wicket haul in the second innings, taking match figures of 9/70.
His all-round performance helped West Indies secure a victory in the second Test, ensuring the series ended in a draw. In total, Warrican scored 85 runs at an average of 42.50 and took 9 wickets at an exceptional average of 9, earning him the Player of the Series award.
Noman Ali’s Historic Hat-Trick Performance
Noman Ali continued his impressive form for Pakistan, being their main strike bowler against the West Indies. In the first Test, he claimed 6 wickets, conceding just 81 runs. However, it was in the second Test that Noman truly made headlines.
He took 6 wickets in the first innings of the second Test, including a historic hat-trick, making him the first Pakistan spinner to achieve a Test hat-trick. He followed this up with another strong performance, taking 4 wickets in the second innings to finish with match figures of 10/121.
Noman claimed a total of 16 wickets at an average of 12.62 and scored 15 runs in January, cementing his place among the top performers.
Conclusion
Chakaravarthy, Warrican, and Noman Ali have all made significant contributions in January 2025, and the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award will be a well-deserved recognition for one of these standout players.
