Published on: Oct 13, 2026 4:00 pm IST|Updated on: Oct 13, 2026 4:07 pm IST
Indian ODI and Test skipper Shubman Gill and Indian women’s opening batter Shafal Verma were officially named the ICC Men’s and Women’s Players of the Month for September 2026. The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the honors after both batters made significant contributions in the month of September across formats.
While Shubman clinched his 5th ICC men’s monthly trophy following a historic ODI outing against the West Indies, young opening batter Shafali Verma was bestowed with her second ICC monthly award after starring in Indian women’s multiple series victories in September.
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The Indian men’s ODI & Test skipper Shubman Gill claimed his fifth ICC Player of the Month award, beating his Punjab and Indian team compatriot Abhishek Sharma and Zimbabwean all-rounder Sikandar Raza. With this victory, Gill equalled West Indies women’s captain Hayley Matthews for the most monthly ICC awards won by any player in international cricket history.
Shubman’s September campaign was highlighted by a magnificent run in the home ODI series against the West Indies, where the right-hander accumulated 333 runs in the opening two games of the three-match series. The 27-year-old in his birthday month kicked off the home ODI series against the West Indies with a sublime 110 off 108 balls in Thiruvananthapuram.
Three days later in Guwahati, Gill played a record knock by scoring an unbeaten 223 off just 133 deliveries. In doing so, he became the batter to score the fastest 200 in ODI history. His magnificent knock included 26 fours and 8 massive sixes to help his team go past a total in excess of 400 with 8 wickets to spare.
After receiving the prestigious ICC award, Gill stated:
“With the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in southern Africa next year, we are determined to keep raising our standards and build a strong, well-rounded team capable of rising to the challenges ahead.”
In the women’s category, Indian women opening batter Shafali Verma collected her second ICC Player of the Month Award, having previously won it in November 2025. The 22-year-old explosive batter has been a pillar of consistency over the last month and played an instrumental role in India’s title-winning Women’s Asia Cup and the Asian Games campaign.
Shafali finished as the top run-scorer for India during the Asia Cup, consistently giving the team blazing starts in the powerplay. Beyond her destructive opening batting, her handy off-spin bowling also provided key breakthroughs during high-pressure knockout matches in both continental tournaments.