Young New Zealand batter Rachin Ravindra has edged out India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and South Africa opener Quinton de Kock to win the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award for October 2023 on the back of his sensational form in the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023.
The 23-year-old Ravindra, who started his maiden World Cup campaign with an unbeaten 123 against England, has scored 565 runs from 9 group stage matches so far and is leading the charts for most runs scored in the ongoing tournament.
On the other hand, De Kock, who was also nominated for the award along with Bumrah, is just 15 runs behind Ravindra in the leading run scorers tally.
Meanwhile, Bumrah didn’t miss a beat upon returning from injury as he picked up a total of 14 wickets for his side during the month of October.
The 29-year-old pacer has been at his brilliant best as India remain unbeaten at the World Cup 2023, with the right-armer giving up a miserly 3.91 runs per over to have one of the best economy rates at the tournament.
However, Rachin who has put the Kiwis on the brink of a semi-final berth at the tournament, surpassed both Bumrah and De Kock for the award.
Rachin Ravindra Expresses Delight
“I’m very grateful to win this award. It’s been a special month personally and for the team. Being able to play a World Cup in India has been incredibly special,” Ravindra told ICC.
The young left-hander also heaped praise on his teammates for allowing him to flourish at the top of New Zealand’s batting order.
“Being backed by the team helps a lot, being able to go out there with a lot of freedom, and play your natural game,” he said.
“The lucky thing is the wickets have been really nice to bat on, suits my game in terms of being positive and taking the game on,” Ravindra concluded.