Pak Opener Sahibzada Farhan Bags ICC Player Of The Month Award For February

(MENAFN- IANS) Dubai, March 23 (IANS) Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan has bagged the ICC Men's Player of the Month for February 2026 after his stunning ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 campaign in Sri Lanka, where he was the highest run-getter with 383 runs in seven matches (six innings) at an average of 76.60 that included two hundreds and as many half centuries.

The right-hander had a superb run at the global event, boasting a strike rate of 160.25 while breaking Virat Kohli's longstanding record of most runs at the T20 World Cup in a single edition. He also became the first batter to score two centuries (against Namibia and Sri Lanka) in a singular global event of the shortest format.

Sahibzada won the award ahead of Will Jacks of England and Shadley van Schalwyk of the USA, following a vote conducted among global fans registered at icc-cricket and a specialist panel comprising former international players and media representatives.

It is the only time Farhan has won the monthly ICC award, with the hard-hitting batter becoming the first male Pakistan player to achieve the feat since pacer Haris Rauf in November 2024.

"It's an incredible feeling to win this ICC award, especially for performances on the World Cup stage, where fans from all over the world are watching every moment. That makes it even more special," Farhan was quoted as saying in the ICC release.

"It was truly a tournament I'll always cherish, and I'm determined to carry this momentum forward in the series and competitions ahead. I'm deeply grateful to my teammates for their constant support and belief in me - this wouldn't have been possible without them.”

Farhan attained a new career-high rating on the latest Men's T20I Batting rankings as he moved to second spot after his outstanding century against Sri Lanka in Pallekele. He was also involved in a record partnership of 176 runs, the highest for any wicket in T20Is, with Fakhar Zaman.

As a result of the memorable run, the 29-year old made it to the ICC Team of the Tournament with scores of 47, 73, 0, 100 not out, DNB, 63, 100 across seven games.

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