Sri Lanka batter Sonal Dinusha has been named ICC Men’s Player of the Month for August 2026, the International Cricket Council announced on Thursday, capping a two-Test home series against India in which he scored three centuries in four innings.

It is the first time the 25-year-old left-hander has won the award, and it comes after just five international matches, all of them Tests.

420 runs at 140

Dinusha was the leading run-scorer on either side in the World Test Championship series, finishing with 420 runs at an average of 140.

In the first Test at Galle, which Sri Lanka lost by 165 runs, he made 100 in the first innings and 84 in the second. In the second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, with his side following on and facing a series sweep, he made 103 and an unbeaten 133 to save the match. The draw kept the series at 1-0.

Those twin hundreds put him in a very short list: the ICC noted that he became only the third batter in the history of Test cricket to score a century in each innings for a side asked to follow on. He was named Player of the Match in Colombo.

He beat two fast bowlers to the award — England’s Ollie Robinson and Bangladesh’s Hasan Mahmud.

”So early in my career”

“This recognition means so much to me, especially so early in my career, and I’m truly grateful to the ICC for this honour,” Dinusha said. “The series against India will always hold a special place in my heart. Scoring three centuries was a dream come true, made even more meaningful by achieving them in Colombo and Galle in front of our home fans.”

“Although we didn’t get the overall result we hoped for, the way our team fought back in the second match showed the character, belief and determination we have as a side,” he added.

Dinusha made his Test debut at home against Bangladesh last year. He had played only three Tests before India arrived.

The women’s award

Lucy Barnett, captain of the Isle of Man, took the women’s award — the first player from the island, ranked 38th in the women’s game, to win it. She scored 257 runs at an average of 128.5 and a strike rate of 178.47 in four T20Is at the Continental Cup in Ilfov County, Romania, including 123 not out off 64 balls against Norway, and took four wickets with her off-spin as the Isle of Man reached the final.

All three nominees for the women’s award came from Associate nations; Barnett beat Thailand’s Suleeporn Laomi and Nannapat Koncharoenkai, with the ICC saying fan votes proved decisive.

Context

Dinusha’s emergence has been the clearest positive for Sri Lanka in a difficult Test year. His Galle century was made as Sri Lanka slid towards defeat against an India attack that ultimately took a 178-run first-innings lead in that match.

Not reported

The Daily Mirror’s report, which carries the ICC’s text, does not name the two batters who previously scored twin centuries following on, give the voting breakdown between Dinusha, Robinson and Hasan, or carry any reaction from Sri Lanka Cricket or the national selectors. Neither account says where Dinusha’s award places him among previous Sri Lankan winners of the monthly prize.