Another month, another set of shiny ICC trinkets. This time, New Zealand’s red-ball workhorse Nathan Smith and England’s white-ball weapon Danni Wyatt-Hodge grabbed the headlines. The International Cricket Council handed out their June 2026 Player of the Month awards on Monday, rewarding the pair for turning matches on their heads.
It wasn’t a walkover. Smith had to shrug off India’s captain Shubman Gill and Bangladesh’s Mosaddek Hossain to secure the men’s trophy. On the women’s side, Wyatt-Hodge outpaced India’s rising star N Sree Charani and Scotland’s skipper Kathryn Bryce.
Smith earned his keep. He spearheaded a green Kiwi bowling attack during a grueling 2-1 Test series triumph over England on their own turf. He took 16 wickets. His average? A tidy 23.00. The peak of his English summer came at Lord’s, where he ripped through the hosts to claim match figures of 9 for 132, including a devastating six-wicket haul in the second innings that turned the series on its head.
He played it cool. Smith insisted the team’s historic series win meant far more than any individual plaque. He muttered that while he does not play for personal silverware, the recognition was nice, especially since it contributed to a massive series victory on foreign soil.
Meanwhile, Wyatt-Hodge was busy dismantling bowling attacks at home. She secured her second career monthly award after a blistering run in the Women’s T20 World Cup. She dominated. The veteran opener topped the league-stage run charts with 302 runs, highlighted by a brutal 105 off 62 balls against Sri Lanka and a ruthless, unbeaten 89 against New Zealand.
She got her Lord’s final. Wyatt-Hodge admitted that winning the award on home soil made a memorable tournament even sweeter. For her, playing a World Cup final at the home of cricket was the real prize, regardless of the individual accolades that followed.
