Rishabh Pant, Joe Root to battle it out for first-ever 'ICC Player of the Month' honour

India's Rishabh Pant and England captain Joe Root stole the show in January with their stellar performances with the bat in Test match cricket. They two appear to be the frontrunners to win ICC's first-ever monthly award. The International Cricket Council (ICC) recently introduced the 'ICC Player of the Month' award through which they plan to acknowledge significant performances by both male and female cricketers. The cricket board has also selected a designated panel who will vote for the nominees, whereas fans can also go to ICC's website to cast their vote. 

ICC Player of the Month: Rishabh Pant and Joe Root favourites to clinch the title 

Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant played a significant role in Team India's success during their gruelling Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. Often targeted for his ordinary glovework, the left-hander made amends by putting up a lion-hearted show with the bat against a formidable Australian bowling attack. The 23-year-old ended up scoring a quick-fire 97 on a placid final day Sydney wicket and shifted the momentum towards India.

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The dynamic batter continued his outstanding form in the Test series decider as well, where he remained unbeaten on 89 to guide India to a momentous victory. England's Test captain Joe Root also has a solid chance of claiming the award. The right-hander smashed a fabulous double-century against Sri Lanka in their opening Test match of the series. After his phenomenal 228, the star batsman also smashed 186 in the following fixture against Sri Lanka.

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Apart from Rishabh Pant and Joe Root, Ireland's Ireland’s Paul Stirling is the third nominee in the men's category. The veteran has three ODI hundreds to his name in the month of January. The winners of the ICC Player of the Month will be announced on February 8 on the board's digital channels. 

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India vs England: Root vs Kohli 

The upcoming Test series between the two cricketing giants is of utmost importance for both the teams as they look to make it to the Final of the ICC World Test Championship. While the Indian team are coming into the series after a spectacular series victory Down Under, England also have the momentum by their side after their dominant performance in Sri Lanka. The two teams will battle it out in four Test matches. The India vs England 1st Test is scheduled to being on February 5, and it will be played at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. 

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Image source: AP