Sri Lanka's Kamindu Mendis and England's Maia Boucher emerged as the standout performers, clinching the titles of Men's and Women's Player of the Month for March 2024, as announced by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday. The laureates were unveiled subsequent to the disclosure of the shortlists the previous week. Mendis outshone his counterparts in Tests, prevailing over Ireland's Mark Adair and New Zealand's Matt Henry to secure the March accolade, while Bouchier triumphed over esteemed contenders such as New Zealand's Amelia Kerr and Australia's Ashleigh Gardner, a four-time Women's Player of the Month.
Mendis seized the ICC Men's Player of the Month distinction following his monumental contributions at the crease, pivotal in Sri Lanka's resounding victory in the first Test of their ICC World Test Championship encounter against Bangladesh in Sylhet. Meanwhile, Bouchier clinched the ICC Women's Player of the Month accolade for her exceptional batting displays during New Zealand's tour, culminating in a commanding 4-1 triumph in the T20I series.
The ICC elaborated that Mendis initially encountered a subdued start in the T20I series, but swiftly turned the tide with a remarkable showing in the first Test match in Sylhet. He played a pivotal role in rescuing Sri Lanka's first innings alongside Dhananjaya de Silva, crafting a composed 102 runs, his maiden Test century, to steer his team to a respectable total of 280. Mendis replicated his heroics in the second innings, forging another remarkable partnership with de Silva, ultimately notching an impressive 164 runs off 237 balls, thereby becoming the first player batting at number seven or lower to register two centuries in a single Test.
Expressing his elation, Kamindu Mendis, the ICC Men's Player of the Month for March, remarked, "I am extremely happy to be named the ICC Men's Player of the Month, which I consider an inspiration for my international career. A recognition such as this motivates and makes us as players work more and more to deliver in the middle for the team, country, and fans."
On the other hand, Bouchier clinched her maiden ICC Women's Player of the Month award following her stellar performances in England's T20I series in New Zealand. The 25-year-old amassed a total of 223 runs at an impressive average of 55.75 across five T20I matches, playing a pivotal role in guiding her team to a memorable series victory. Her remarkable innings included an unbeaten 43 in the opener, a blistering 71 in the third match, and a commanding 91 in the decisive encounter, where she was promoted to open the batting.
Expressing her gratitude, Maia Bouchier, the ICC Women's Player of the Month for March, stated, "First of all, thank you to everyone who voted for me. I am so happy and grateful to everyone: my family and partner and the staff and my teammates who have supported me whilst playing at the international level."
The honours bestowed upon Mendis and Bouchier were determined through voting by global fans registered at ICC-cricket.com and a specialist panel comprising ICC Hall of Famers, former international players, and media representatives.
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