Dubai, Feb 21 The ICC has announced the nominees for the Women's Player of the Month award for January, with three standout performances from the month of international cricket making the final shortlist. The nominees include Gaby Lewis, Sobhana Mostery, and Tara Norris, each of whom played pivotal roles in their respective teams' campaigns during the T20 World Cup Qualifiers in January-February 2026.
Leading Ireland’s charge towards qualification for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, captain Gaby Lewis enjoyed a stellar month. Across six T20Is, Lewis scored a total of 251 runs at an impressive strike rate of 124.87.
Her best performance came in a losing cause against Bangladesh, where she scored 73 runs. Despite the defeat, Lewis' knock was a highlight, as she ended the qualification tournament as the highest run-scorer for Ireland with 276 runs. Her consistency and leadership have been key to Ireland securing a spot in the upcoming World Cup.
From the other side of the qualifiers, Sobhana Mostery of Bangladesh proved to be a force with the bat. Scoring 229 runs at an average of 45.80 and a blistering strike rate of 145.85, Mostery was central to her team's unbeaten run in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier.
Her highest score of 59 came against Thailand, and she followed it up with another superb knock of 47 against Scotland. Alongside her batting exploits, the 24-year-old off-spinner also claimed a crucial wicket in the match against Papua New Guinea, cementing her all-round impact in the tournament.
The standout bowler for the USA during the qualification event, Tara Norris, was a menace with the ball. The left-arm pacer finished as the highest wicket-taker of the tournament with 15 wickets. In January, Norris claimed 11 wickets in five T20Is, including three-wicket hauls against Namibia, Ireland, and Thailand.
Her most memorable performance came against Ireland, where she dismantled their top order with exceptional bowling figures of 3/10. Norris also contributed with the bat, adding 39 runs to her team’s cause.
The January performances of these three players have not only been impressive individually but also crucial to the progress of their respective teams in the global qualifiers.
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