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NEW DELHI: Australia’s pace spearhead Mitchell Starc has been rewarded for his stellar performance in the recently concluded Ashes, earning the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award for December 2025.

The left-arm pacer finished the five-match series with 31 wickets and was named Player of the Series as Australia clinched the series 4-1.

Starc edged out two other standout performers for the award: West Indies’ Justin Greaves, who notched his maiden double century against New Zealand in Christchurch, and New Zealand’s Jacob Duffy, who took 25 wickets in the Black Caps’ 2-0 series win over the West Indies.

Starc was proud to have won the honour on the back of a successful home Ashes win.

"It's an honour to be named the ICC Player of the Month, and even more special that it came on the back of such a successful home Ashes. To have played a part in winning such an iconic series in front of our home crowd is something we will all relish for a long time," Starc said.

"As a team we've had some outstanding performances in the last few years. The focus now is on building that momentum towards a place in next year's ICC World Test Championship Final," he added.

Starc's impact extended beyond his bowling, as he proved valuable with the bat as well. His two crucial half-centuries in Brisbane and Adelaide helped Australia secure an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match Ashes series.

This marks the first time Starc has claimed the ICC Men's Player of the Month award, ending a two-year wait for an Australian to receive the honour. Pat Cummins was the last Australian to win it, taking home the award in December 2023.