Mushfiqur, Taijul nominated for ICC Player of the Month

Bangladesh's Mushfiqur Rahim and Taijul Islam, along with Nepal all-rounder Dipendra Singh Airee, have been nominated for the ICC Men's Player of the Month award for May 2026 following a string of impressive performances.

Veteran batter Mushfiqur and left-arm spinner Taijul played pivotal roles in Bangladesh's 2-0 Test series sweep over Pakistan in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle.

Mushfiqur amassed 253 runs in two Tests at an average of 63.25. After scoring 71 in the first innings of the opening Test, he delivered his standout performance in Sylhet, striking a superb 137 in the second innings of the second Test. His consistency and match-defining contributions earned him the Player of the Series award.

Taijul, meanwhile, finished as the leading wicket-taker in the two-match series with 13 wickets at an average of 19.61. His best effort came in the second Test in Sylhet, where he claimed 6-120 in Pakistan's second innings after bowling a marathon 34.2-over spell.

The left-arm spinner also made useful contributions with the bat, scoring 58 runs across the series.

Joining the Bangladesh duo on the shortlist is Nepal's Dipendra Singh Airee, who impressed during his side's ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 campaign.

Airee scored 249 runs in six ODIs at an average of 49.80 and a strike rate of 110.66, including a century against the United Arab Emirates and two half-centuries. He also chipped in with eight wickets at an average of 19.12 and an economy rate of 4.52.