The ICC announced the nominees for the ICC Men's Player of the Month for June 2025, with three of the game's longest-format stars. Two South African stars from their record-breaking ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 victory and one reliable Sri Lankan opener lead the shortlist.

Aiden Markram (South Africa)

South African opener Aiden Markram was the fulcrum of his team's WTC Final triumph at Lord's, delivering when it mattered. First, he did so with the ball, bowling out Steve Smith with his sixth ball after the Australian had settled in during a handy partnership with Beau Webster.

Markram made a forgettable batting debut in the first innings, bowled without a run by Mitchell Starc. But Markram left his stamp of class in the second innings. South Africa was chasing a tall 282 at that time, and Markram took the stage after the early fall of Ryan Rickelton. He formed crucial partnerships with Wiaan Mulder and captain Temba Bavuma, who was nursing an injury. Markram even comforted Bavuma in the dressing room, exhibiting calm leadership under pressure.

He continued to score a regal 136, leading South Africa to their five-wicket victory and first ICC senior men's title in 27 years. Markram also removed the last wicket of Australia's second innings, having Josh Hazlewood out to seal the deal with both bat and ball.

Kagiso Rabada (South Africa)

Rabada spearheaded South Africa's pace group with customary aggression and accuracy in the WTC Final. In a swing-friendly Day 1 at Lord's, he got the ball rolling by dismissing Usman Khawaja and then went on to take his 17th five-wicket haul in Tests. His 33.4 overs through the air for the match returned nine wickets for only 110 runs.

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He became almost unplayable at times, sending away important batsmen such as Cameron Green, Alex Carey, and Nathan Lyon in the second innings. Rabada's work ensured that Australia never got away with the game. He finished the Test fourth on South Africa's list of all-time Test wicket-takers with 336 wickets, having gone past Allan Donald.

Pathum Nissanka (Sri Lanka)

Sri Lanka’s dependable opener Pathum Nissanka had a phenomenal start to the new WTC cycle, notching back-to-back centuries in the home Test series against Bangladesh. After Bangladesh posted 495 in Galle, Nissanka responded with a career-best 187, which included 24 boundaries and a six. His effort helped Sri Lanka come within 10 runs of the total.

Following a difficult 32-over phase towards the end of the game, Nissanka's grit secured 24 in a tense second innings, securing a draw. In the second Test, he complemented it with another brilliant knock of 158, studded with 19 fours. His brilliant batting helped Sri Lanka post a 211-run lead, setting the stage for a crucial innings-and-78-run win and a 1-0 series win.

In June, all the nominees performed game-altering pieces of work, either through series-defining consistency or under extremely tight final situations. The ICC Men's Player of the Month for June 2025 is now open to vote for by fans.

Sri Lanka dominated Bangladesh in the second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo, winning by an innings and 78 runs to seal a series sweep. Bangladesh, after opting to bat, managed just 247 in the first innings, with only Shadman Islam (46), Mushfiqur Rahim (35), and Litton Das (34) producing the runs to give them a knock of 247 in their first innings. Sri Lanka responded with a massive 458 in their first innings, anchored by Pathum Nissanka’s superb 158, alongside Kusal Mendis (84) and 93 by Dinesh Chandimal, respectively. Holding a commanding 211-run lead, Sri Lanka then bowled out Bangladesh for a paltry 133 in their second innings, with the match in very short order ending by an innings and 78 runs, with Prabath Jayasuriya claiming a five-wicket haul. Sri Lanka completed the formalities on Day 4 to win by an innings and 78 runs and sweep the series.

Bangladesh 1st Innings: 247/10 in 79.3 Overs

Bangladesh made a good beginning courtesy of Shadman Islam, who fought hard for 46 off 93 balls and 7 boundaries. But his fall initiated the usual collapse. The top- and middle-order once again did not convert starts—Mominul (21), Shanto (8), Mushfiqur (35), and Litton Das (34) all falling before a substantial partnership could be achieved. Mehidy Hasan Miraz's rapid 31 off 42 provided a late boost, but wickets continued to fall. Sri Lanka shared the spoils with the ball—Asitha Fernando (3/51), Sonal Dinusha (3/22), and Vishwa Fernando (2/45) all breaking through at regular intervals, bowling Bangladesh out for 247.

Sri Lanka 1st Innings: 458/10 in 116.5 Overs

Pathum Nissanka held Sri Lanka's innings together with a marathon innings of 158 off 254 deliveries, hitting 19 fours and keeping the runs flowing continuously. He carried on important partnerships with Lahiru Udara (40) and Chandimal (93), who too batted with ease and purpose. Kusal Mendis then added the finish with a free-flowing 84 off 87 deliveries before getting run out. In spite of Taijul Islam claiming a gallant five-wicket haul (5/131), Bangladesh had no solution for Sri Lanka's non-stop run-scoring. With contributions late in the order too, the hosts piled up 458 and established a huge 211-run lead.

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Bangladesh 2nd Innings: 133/10 in 44.2 Overs

Needing a spirited batting display to save the Test, Bangladesh once again crumbled. Shadman Islam (12), Shanto (19), and Mushfiqur Rahim (26) attempted to hold out, but wickets continued falling. Prabath Jayasuriya, unplayable on a deteriorating pitch, captured 5/56 to spearhead the slaughter. Dhananjaya de Silva contributed two wickets, with Ratnayake and Asitha Fernando completing the tail.

The visitors were bowled out for 133 inside 45 overs, as Sri Lanka recorded an emphatic innings victory.

SL vs BAN, 2nd Test: Key Moments

• Nissanka's Epic 158: The opener's innings was the foundation of Sri Lanka's record-breaking total and closed Bangladesh out of the contest early.
  
• Jayasuriya's Match-Turning Spell: The left-arm bowler picked up 5 wickets in the second innings and prevented any Bangladesh comeback.
  
• Taijul's Battle: A five-wicket effort in vain, Taijul was prominent with his determination even as the others gave away runs.
  
• Batting Collapse of Bangladesh: 100/5 to 133 all out in the second innings reflected their lack of endurance of batting under pressure.

SL vs BAN, 2nd Test—Match Scorecard

Bangladesh 1st Innings – 247/10 (79.3 Overs)

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Sri Lanka 1st Innings – 458/10 (116.5 Overs)

Bangladesh 2nd Innings – 133/10 (44.2 Overs)

The first Test between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh kicked off their World Test Championship 2025–27 journey and ended in a thrilling draw after five days of hard-fought cricket. Bangladesh batted first and put up a big total of 495 runs. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto led from the front with a fine 148, while Mushfiqur Rahim played a brilliant innings of 163. Litton Das also chipped in with a steady 90.

Sri Lanka gave a solid reply. Pathum Nissanka stood tall with a superb 187. Dinesh Chandimal scored 54 and Kamindu Mendis added 87 to help Sri Lanka reach 485. In their second innings, Shanto continued his great form and scored another century, becoming only the 18th Test captain to hit hundreds in both innings of a match. Shadman Islam contributed well with 76 runs before Bangladesh declared at 285 runs losing 6 Wickets.

Sri Lanka Squad for the 2nd Test against Bangladesh at SSC

In : Vishwa Fernando
Dunith Wellalage

Out : Milan Rathnayake ( Due to Injury )#sportpavilionlk #danushkaaravinda #SLvBAN #SLvBAN pic.twitter.com/gKGmHAKudc

— DANUSHKA ARAVINDA (@DanuskaAravinda) June 23, 2025

Chasing the target, Sri Lanka had a shaky start and were struggling at 48/4. But they managed to hold on and avoid a loss as the match ended in a draw. The teams will now play three ODIs on July 2, 5, and 8, followed by three T20Is on July 10, 13, and 16.

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Sri Lanka Squad for the 2nd Test

Dhananjaya de Silva (captain), Kusal Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, Dinesh Chandimal, Prabath Jayasuriya, Oshada Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, Dunith Wellalage, Kamindu Mendis, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Akila Dananjaya, Lahiru Udara, Pavan Rathnayake, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Sonal Dinusha, Tharindu Ratnayake, Isitha Wijesundara.

Angelo Mathews Set for Test Farewell as Sri Lanka Announce Squad for Bangladesh Tour

Just two days before the series begins, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has named its 18 player squad for the upcoming two-Test series against Bangladesh. This series marks the start of the 2025–27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. Bangladesh had already announced their 16-member squad, with Najmul Hossain Shanto continuing as captain.

Mathews to Retire After First Test

A big moment in the series will be the farewell of Sri Lankan veteran Angelo Mathews, who will retire from Test cricket after the first match in Galle. Mathews, who debuted in 2009 as an all-rounder, has become the third-highest run-scorer in Sri Lanka’s Test history. Over the years, he shifted his focus to batting and surpassed legends like Sanath Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu in the run charts during his 16-year Test career.

Fresh Faces in Sri Lanka Squad

Sri Lanka have included six uncapped players in the squad: Lahiru Udara, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Sonal Dinusha, Pawan Rathnayake, Tharindu Ratnayake, and Isitha Wijesundara. Lahiru Kumara was also named initially but had to withdraw due to injury.

Following their 0–2 defeat to Australia, Sri Lanka has made several changes. Five players Sadeera Samarawickrama, Ramesh Mendis, Nishan Peiris, Vishwa Fernando, and Jeffrey Vandersay have been left out. With former skipper Dimuth Karunaratne recently retiring from Tests, Sri Lanka will also look to fill the gap at the top of the batting order.

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Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh 2025 Tour Schedule

Sri Lanka Test Squad vs Bangladesh

Pathum NissPATHanka, Oshada Fernando, Lahiru Udara, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva (Captain), Kusal Mendis, Kamindu Mendis, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Sonal Dinusha, Pawan Rathnayake, Prabath Jayasuriya, Tharindu Ratnayake, Akila Dananjaya, Milan Rathnayake, Asitha Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, Isitha Wijesundara.

Sri Lanka Cricket's much-awaited awards night made a spectacular comeback on Monday, hosting the best cricketing performances of the 2024 calendar year. The event, which was staged annually for the first time since 2017, recognized outstanding contributions across both international and domestic circuits. Kamindu Mendis and Chamari Athapaththu were the biggest winners of the night, taking home the coveted Men's and Women's Cricketer of the Year honors.

Kamindu was rewarded for a remarkable Test season in which he had scored 1049 runs at a 74.92 average from just nine matches for being the Best Test Batter. His run tally was only beaten by four international cricketers who appeared in more matches. In white-ball cricket, the award for best T20I batter went to Kusal Mendis, who had scored 628 runs at a 127.64 strike rate. Pathum Nissanka won the ODI batter award with 694 runs at 63.09, including a historic undefeated 210 against Afghanistan—the first-ever white-ball double hundred by a Sri Lankan.

Chamari Athapaththu swept the women's categories with six awards in total. She was crowned the Women's Cricketer of the Year and collected all three T20I awards—best batter, bowler, and all-rounder—due to her 720 runs and 21 wickets. In ODIs, she was recognized as both the best batter and best all-rounder, scoring 458 runs at 65.42 and claiming nine wickets. Only Kavisha Dilhari’s 17 ODI wickets kept Athapaththu from a clean sweep, as she secured the ODI bowling award.

Broad recognition across formats and domestic cricket

For the men's Test category, Prabath Jayasuriya was awarded Best Bowler after taking 48 wickets from nine matches, putting him among the world's best performers. Dhananjaya de Silva took home Best Test All-Rounder for his 710 runs and six wickets in ten games. Wanindu Hasaranga had a great year in limited-overs cricket, winning Best Bowler in both ODIs and T20Is and the Best T20I All-Rounder award after claiming 64 wickets in the formats.

Charith Asalanka was awarded the ODI All-Rounder of the Year for his 605 runs and ten wickets, playing a pivotal part in Sri Lanka's 12-3 record in the format. Janith Liyanage, having made his ODI debut in early 2024, won Emerging Player of the Year for his 462 runs at 46.20.

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Domestic cricket was also in the limelight, with women's performances awarded for the first time. Rashmi Silva, Harshitha Samarawickrama, and Nilakshika Silva were among the best award winners in the Major Club Women's Invitational. Chamika Karunaratne, Akila Dananjaya, and others were among the top award winners in men's domestic competitions across formats. 46 awards were distributed, including Umpire and Match Referee of the Year and a number of Lifetime Achievement Awards. The occasion was attended by a number of previous and present cricketers, with Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage as the guest of honor.

The ICC Champions Trophy makes a comeback after a long haul of eight years, with the defending champions, Pakistan, being the tournament's hosts. In addition, the UAE will act as the second host country, specifically for India matches.

Fanatics are already talking about which players may light up the event. Several cricketers are primed to become the edition's defining characters, from rising talents to seasoned veterans. That being said, here are the top three players to watch out for in the forthcoming Champions Trophy edition that may impact their respective arsenals.