Wellalage and Harshitha: ICC Player of the Month for August

ICC Player of the Month Awards for August 2024

• Dunith Wellalage won the ICC Men's Player of the Month
• Harshitha Samarawickrama claimed the ICC Women's Player of the Month
• This marks the first time Sri Lanka has won both awards in the same month
• Only the second instance of players from the same nation winning both awards simultaneously, after India's Jasprit Bumrah and Smriti Mandhana in June 2023

Dunith Wellalage's Outstanding Performance

• Excelled in Sri Lanka's home ODI series against India
• Contributed significantly to Sri Lanka's 2-0 series win
• All-round performance: 108 runs and 7 wickets in the series
• Highlight: 5/27 in the final match, dismantling India's batting lineup
• Outperformed South Africa's Keshav Maharaj and West Indies' Jayden Seales for the award
• Fifth Sri Lankan to win the men's monthly award

Harshitha Samarawickrama's Remarkable Tour of Ireland

• Dominated in both T20I and ODI formats
• T20I series: 151 runs in two matches with a strike rate of 169.66
• ODI series: 172 runs in three matches, including a century (105)
• Became the third Sri Lankan woman to score an ODI century
• Edged out Irish players Orla Prendergast and Gaby Lewis for the award
• Second Sri Lankan woman to receive the ICC Women's Player of the Month award

Significance for Sri Lankan Cricket

• Demonstrates Sri Lanka's growing prominence in international cricket
• Wellalage's win: 5th time a Sri Lankan has won the men's monthly award
• Samarawickrama's achievement: 3rd win for Sri Lanka in women's category in 4 months
• Boosts confidence ahead of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024
• Highlights the emergence of new talent in both men's and women's cricket