Mark Adair (Ireland)

Since his international debut in 2019, Mark Adair has become an indispensable part of the Ireland cricket team across all formats. In March, he played a pivotal role in Ireland’s historic Test victory over Afghanistan.

Adair’s exceptional bowling in the first innings earned him his first-ever five-wicket haul, dismissing Afghanistan for a mere 155. He also contributed a crucial 15 runs, extending Ireland’s first innings lead to 108.

In the second innings, he claimed the vital wickets of Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, and Hashmatullah Shahidi, leading to Afghanistan’s dismissal for 218. Ireland then chased down a modest target of 111 runs to secure their first-ever Test match victory. Adair’s outstanding performance earned him the Player of the Match award, with his eight wickets coming at an impressive average of just 11.87.

Adair also took three wickets in the following ODI series and five in the subsequent T20I series, further demonstrating his all-round skills.

Mark Adair’s performance marked the best match figures by an Ireland bowler in Test cricket. Learn more about Ireland’s maiden Test win here.

Kamindu Mendis (Sri Lanka)

Returning to the Sri Lankan team for the first time since 2022, Kamindu Mendis had a memorable month. He scored 68 runs in the T20I series against Bangladesh, with his best performance of 37 runs coming in the second T20I.

However, his standout moment came in the first Test against Bangladesh in Sylhet. With Sri Lanka struggling at 57/5, Mendis partnered with Dhananjaya de Silva to forge a remarkable 202-run stand for the sixth wicket. This partnership helped Sri Lanka reach 280 and subsequently bowl out Bangladesh for 188.

In the second innings, Mendis outdid himself. Coming in at No.8, he added 173 runs for the seventh wicket with Dhananjaya. He was the last man to be dismissed, with a career-best score of 164, including 16 fours and six sixes. This performance helped Sri Lanka set a daunting target of 511, leading to a victory by 328 runs.

Matt Henry (New Zealand)

Matt Henry, the New Zealand seamer, displayed exceptional form against a formidable Australian side in the recently concluded Trans-Tasman Trophy in New Zealand. Despite Australia’s 2-0 series win, Henry claimed 17 wickets at an average of 15.7, including two five-wicket hauls. He also contributed 101 runs at an average of 25.25.

In the first Test, Henry was the standout Kiwi bowler with figures of 5/70 and 3/36. He also added 42 and 14 runs with the bat. His spirited performance provided inspiration for New Zealand ahead of the second Test.

Despite New Zealand being bowled out for a mere 162 in the first innings in Christchurch, Henry was relentless, claiming seven Australian wickets to limit their lead to 94. A stronger performance from New Zealand in the second innings set Australia a target of 279.

Henry then teamed up with young Ben Sears to leave Australia struggling at 34/4. Despite impressive innings from Mitchell Marsh and Alex Carey, Henry was the standout performer throughout the series, earning him the Player of the Series award.