Team India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj has been nominated for the ICC Player of the Month Award for August 2025, following his phenomenal performance in the five-match Test series against England. The right-arm pacer ended up playing all five Tests - the most for an Indian pacer and picked up 23 wickets in India's 2-2 series draw in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. The icing on the cake was Siraj's terrific display of bowling in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah in the fifth & final Oval Test, wherein he picked up nine wickets to enable a superb win for India.
The pacer's marathon spell capped it off with a five-wicket haul in the second innings, which saw the visitors register a come-from-behind win by just six runs in the fifth Test. The fast bowler was rewarded with the player of the match award for his heroics and also finished the series as the highest wicket-taker.
Also Read: BCCI Elections to Take Place in Mumbai on September 28
Alongside Siraj, New Zealand fast bowler Matt Henry and West Indies pacer Jayden Seales have also been named as nominees for the award. The Kiwi pacer picked up 16 wickets at an average of just 12 in a two-match Test series against Zimbabwe last month. Henry was simply unplayable as he picked up nine wickets in the first Test, and was named player of the match, before bagging yet another five-wicket haul in the first innings in New Zealand's crushing win in the second Test against hosts Zimbabwe.
Meanwhile, Seales had a terrific series against Pakistan, coming on the back of a phenomenal series against Australia. The West Indies bowler picked up 10 wickets in the team's 2-1 ODI series win over Men In Green, which included a phenomenal display in the last ODI where he picked up 6/18 to bowl Pakistan out for just 92.
Also Read: Asia Cup 2025: Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri, & Virender Sehwag in commentary panel
Mohammed Siraj steps up in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah
Notably, Bumrah played just three out of the five Tests due to workload management. While many thought it would be a disaster for the recipe, Siraj bowled all his heart out and kept coming at the England batters. With India requiring a win in the last Test to enable a draw, the Hyderabad pacer stepped up terrifically, and delivered a match-winning performance.
While he was probably on his last haunches, he still kept delivering for India as he only had a single mission - to help India win. After his lion-hearted efforts with the ball in hand, Siraj was the toast of the nation and received a hero's welcome at his home in Hyderabad.
Also Read: Asia Cup 2025: 'Kuldeep Yadav is at his peak now' - Ravi Shastri backs the wrist-spinner's inclusion
