Australia’s all-rounder Annabel Sutherland and India’s bowler Jasprit Bumrah were awarded the ICC Women’s and Men’s Players of the Month for December, respectively, on Tuesday.

In a thrilling Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, top-ranked Test bowler Bumrah put up a fierce fight against Australia’s comeback with devastating bowling spells, while Sutherland was in brilliant form in Australia’s One-Day International matches against India and New Zealand, winning Player of the Series twice for her all-around efforts.

“Both players were crowned following a vote conducted among global fans registered at ICC’s official website and a specialist panel comprising ICC Hall of Famers, former international players, and media representatives,” the International Cricket Council said in a statement.

World Test Championship wicket-takers Pat Cummins and Dane Paterson, who were also candidates, help Bumrah win his second ICC Men’s Player of the Month award. In the worldwide voting, Sutherland defeats Smriti Mandhana and Nonkululeko Mlaba to earn her second ICC Women’s Player of the Month award.

With further spectacular performances in Australia, Bumrah’s incredible year on the international scene came to an end. He took 22 wickets at an average of 14.22 in the three Test matches in December.

The seamer, who initially stood out in Adelaide with four for 61, led India’s fight as the home team gained confidence and rallied from a 1-0 deficit to take the series lead. Moving on to Brisbane, Bumrah dominated the Australian batting order in the first half, taking three for 18 in the second and six for 76 in a terrifying burst.

The 31-year-old established a new record for the greatest rating points score by any Indian bowler in history after a stretch of five for 57 in the second innings of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, which featured another nine-wicket return. Being nominated for two of the highest honors in the ICC Awards 2024—the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year and the ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year Award—Bumrah will be looking for further success in the weeks ahead.

Being selected as the December ICC Men’s Player of the Month makes me very happy. Being selected for individual recognition is always a source of humility, and it is always pleasant to have your efforts acknowledged,” Bumrah said. “It was an honor for me to go out there and perform for my country, and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was one of the most fiercely contested competitions ever,” he remarked.

Sutherland, the ICC Women’s Player of the Month, finished a historic year by dominating with the bat and ball in Australia’s most recent victories over India and New Zealand. She scored 269 runs at 67.25 and claimed nine wickets in her five appearances.

In a decisive victory against India in the second ODI in Brisbane, Sutherland started with four for 39. She then followed up with a powerful batting display, hitting 110 in 98 balls in the final match to win Player of the Series.

Another demonstration of batting ability took place in the next series against New Zealand across the Tasman Sea, when the 23-year-old opened with a commanding 105 runs in only 81 balls (DLS).

She scored an additional 42 runs and grabbed three wickets in the second match, which helped Australia win back-to-back ODI series sweeps and earn Sutherland Player of the Series for the second time in a row.

In addition, the all-round player is a candidate for the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year and the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year category at the 2024 ICC Awards.

We had a fantastic month in December, and it was satisfying to be able to help the team succeed. It was incredibly satisfying to be able to take advantage of the chances to spend some time out in the middle since we have a really deep team,” Sutherland remarked. “Those ODIs were really important for us ahead of the upcoming Women’s Cricket World Cup, and it was great to be able to win both series against India and New Zealand,” she said.