ICC Women’s Player of the Month nominees for January 2026 named
After a crucial month of cricket, we have the three best performers in the running for the ICC award.
Gaby Lewis (Ireland)
Ireland captain Gaby Lewis led the way as her team sealed a spot for the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup through the qualifying tournament that took place in January-February 2026.
In the six T20Is she played in the opening month of the year, she scored 251 runs, at a strike rate of 124.87.
Her best performance was 73 against Bangladesh, albeit in a losing effort. She finished the qualifier as the highest run-scorer, with a total of 276.
Sobhana Mostery (Bangladesh)
Bangladesh were one of the top teams at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier earlier this year, as they finished the campaign unbeaten and were one of the first teams to book their berth in the marquee event in England.
Sobhana Mostery was the mainstay of their batting line-up, scoring 229 runs at an average of 45.80 and strike rate of 145.85 in the first six matches in the tournament.
Her highest score was 59 against Thailand, and she followed it up with another brilliant knock of 47 against Scotland. The 24-year-old, who bowls off-spin, also claimed a wicket during the match against Papua New Guinea.
Sobhana Mostery played a key role in Bangladesh sealing their Women's T20 World Cup 2026 qualification // Getty Images
Tara Norris (USA)
Though USA missed out on a World Cup spot, left-arm pacer Tara Norris was impressive during the qualifying tournament, and finished as the highest wicket-taker with 15 scalps.
In January, she claimed 11 wickets in five T20Is, including three-wicket hails against Namibia, Ireland and Thailand. She also contributed with 39 runs.
Her standout performance came against Ireland as she finished with bowling figures of 3/10 in her quota of four overs.
