Airee shortlisted for ICC Player of the Month Award

By A Staff Reporter, Kathmandu, June 11: Nepal all-rounder Dipendra Singh Airee has been nominated for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award for May, following a series of stellar performances on the international stage.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Wednesday that Airee is joined on the three-man shortlist by Bangladesh duo Taijul Islam and Mushfiqur Rahim.

"Airee’s fine form with the bat saw him strike an ODI century against the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and he also produced some useful spells with the ball to make the cut," the ICC state-ment read. 

"Meanwhile, Taijul and Mushfiqur were nominated on the back of fine performances in the home Test series against Pakistan, which Bangladesh won 2-0."

Airee enjoyed a prolific run during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 fixtures in Kirtipur. 

He began the month with a commanding 100 against the UAE, ultimately accumulating 249 runs at an average of 49.80 and a strike-rate of 110.66 across six One-Day Internationals. 

The all-rounder was equally effective with the ball, claiming eight wickets at a disciplined econ-omy rate of 4.52, including a match-winning haul of 4-24 against the United States. 

His fellow nominees also enjoyed milestone periods. 

Bangladesh’s left-arm spinner Taijul Islam finished as the leading wicket-taker in the historic series victory over Pakistan, claiming 13 wick-ets at an average of 19.61. His campaign was highlighted by a crucial return of 6-120 in the sec-ond innings of the second Test in Sylhet.

Taijul's compatriot, former Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim, was named Player of the Series after anchoring the batting line-up with 235 runs at an average of 63.25. His standout contribu-tions included a resilient 71 in the first Test and a decisive 137 in the second match.

The award will be decided by a combination of votes from an independent ICC Voting Acade-my and global cricket fans. Public voting opened on Wednesday on the ICC's official website, with the winner set to be announced next week.