Sonal Dinusha beats Hasan Mahmud to win ICC player of the month
Sonal Dinusha Earns ICC Men’s Player of the Month Honour for August
Thebangladaily.com – Sri Lanka’s Sonal Dinusha has claimed the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award for August after a remarkable Test series against India, finishing ahead of Bangladesh fast bowler Hasan Mahmud and England’s Ollie Robinson.
The 25-year-old left-handed batter produced a sequence of innings that placed him at the centre of Sri Lanka’s resistance in a challenging two-Test contest. Across four innings, Dinusha registered three centuries and repeatedly gave his side a route back into matches when the pressure was at its highest.
Centuries Define a Breakthrough Series
Dinusha began the series strongly in the opening Test at Galle, where he made 100 in one innings and followed it with 84 in the other. Those contributions established the tone for his month, but his work in the second Test in Colombo proved even more significant.
At the Sinhalese Sports Club ground, Dinusha scored 103 in Sri Lanka’s first innings. India then forced the hosts to follow on, leaving Sri Lanka facing the prospect of defeat. Instead of allowing the match to slip away, Dinusha returned to the crease and delivered an unbeaten 133 in the second innings.
His second-innings century helped Sri Lanka escape what had appeared to be an inevitable loss and secure a draw. The achievement also placed Dinusha in a rare group: he became only the third player in Test history to score a hundred in both innings of a match after being asked to follow on.
That distinction underlines the scale of his performance. Scoring heavily once in a Test can change the course of a game, but doing so twice while a team is attempting to survive requires sustained concentration, technical control and the ability to manage fatigue across long periods at the crease.
“Receiving this recognition so early in my career means a lot to me. I am truly grateful to the ICC for this honor. The series against India will always hold a special place in my heart,” Dinusha said.
The award gives further recognition to a player whose August was defined not simply by runs, but by the circumstances in which they were scored. Dinusha’s three hundreds came against one of the most demanding opponents in Test cricket and included an innings that directly protected Sri Lanka from defeat.
Hasan Mahmud’s Historic Darwin Display
Bangladesh’s Hasan Mahmud was also in contention after playing a major role in a landmark result for his country. Bangladesh secured their first Test win on Australian soil in August, with the fast bowler taking nine wickets in the Darwin Test.
For Bangladesh, the victory represented an important moment in their overseas Test journey. Winning in Australia has traditionally been one of the sternest challenges in the format, and Hasan’s nine-wicket contribution was central to turning that opportunity into a historic success.
Although his match-winning bowling display did not bring him the monthly prize, his nomination reflected the impact of a performance that will remain closely linked with Bangladesh’s first Test triumph in Australia.
England’s Ollie Robinson completed the men’s shortlist, highlighting the range of notable individual displays considered during the month. Dinusha ultimately received the award after his combination of run-making, consistency and match-saving resolve stood out across the voting process.
Lucy Barnett Takes Women’s Player of the Month Award
In the women’s category, Isle of Man all-rounder Lucy Barnett won the ICC Player of the Month vote after an outstanding Continental Cup T20 campaign. She overcame competition from Thailand’s Suleeporn Laomi and Nannapat Koncharoenkai.
Barnett amassed 257 runs in four matches, averaging 128.50 at a strike rate of 178.47. Her most explosive innings was a commanding 123 from 64 balls against Norway, an effort that illustrated both the volume and speed of her scoring during the tournament.
She finished as the Continental Cup T20’s leading run-scorer and also contributed with the ball, taking four wickets through her off-spin. Her all-round influence helped take the Isle of Man to the final, giving the team a campaign built around a series of decisive individual contributions.
“Winning the ICC Player of the Month award feels incredible. I am immensely proud to have made history for the Isle of Man,” Barnett said.
Barnett’s recognition is especially meaningful for Isle of Man cricket, with her performances bringing international attention to a side competing on the Continental Cup T20 stage. Her batting output showed how quickly a player can shape a short-format tournament, while her wickets added another dimension to her value for the team.
A Month of Match-Shaping Performances
The August awards celebrated players who delivered under very different conditions. Dinusha’s achievement came through long-form batting endurance, with his runs guiding Sri Lanka through a difficult Test series and preserving a draw in Colombo. Barnett’s success was built on high-impact T20 batting, complemented by useful off-spin contributions.
Hasan’s Darwin spell offered another reminder that monthly recognition often emerges from performances that carry historical weight. His nine wickets helped Bangladesh achieve a result that had never previously been recorded on Australian soil.
For Dinusha, however, the award marks an early-career milestone after a series in which he repeatedly converted starts into major scores. His hundreds at Galle and Colombo ensured that August became a month of personal distinction as well as a memorable chapter in Sri Lanka’s Test campaign.
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