Sri Lanka's Dunith Wellalage, Harshitha Samarawickrama crowned ICC Players of the Month for August

Sri Lanka players Dunith Wellal and Harshitha Samarawickrama were on Monday named as ICC Players of Month for August 2024.

rare double for Sri Lanka comes after Wellal excelled in a home ODI series against India and Samarawickrama hit a purple patch on a tour of Ireland.

only previous instance of players from same country winning awards in same month was when Jasprit Bumrah and Smriti Mandhana were named Players of Month in June this year.

Wellal won coveted monthly award ahe of South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj and West Indies fast bowler Jayden Seales, who were ors shortlisted.

Wellal won award after a Player of Series performance that helped his side to a 2-0 series win over India. 31-year-old left-hander h scores of 67 t out, 39 and two, while also picking up seven wickets in series including a haul of five for 27 in third match.

This is fifth time that a Sri Lanka player has won men's award since its inception. previous winners being Angelo Maws (May 2022), Prabath Jayasuriya (July 2022), Wanindu Hasaranga (June 2023) and Kamindu Mendis (March 2024).

Wellal said that award comes as a great encourment. "This is great news for me and brings immense satisfaction, as this recognition gives me furr strength to continue doing good work I do as a player and contribute to my team to reach excellence in field," said Wellal.

"Recognition such as this, coming from ICC, is great news for young players like us and will certainly encour young players in game." Samarawickrama, who edged out Irish duo of Orla Prendergast and Gaby Lewis, h a fine run on a tour of Ireland that saw her becoming only third woman cricketer from Sri Lanka to tch a century in ODIs.

26-year-old left-hander aggregated 151 runs in two T20Is played in Dublin at a strike rate of 169.66, which included a match-winning 86 t out off 45 balls in first match. She scored 172 in three ODIs in Belfast at a strike rate of 82.69 including a kck of 105 in second match.

Samarawickrama is only second Sri Lanka player to win ICC Women’s Player of Month award. Captain Chamari Athapaththu has won award twice this year in May and July.

Samarawickrama said this recognition was very important since it came less than three weeks before Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. "I am extremely happy with this recognition, which I consider a new high in my career. It certainly gives me a lot of confidence ahe of big competition, Women's T20 World Cup."