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India’s ODI and Test captain Shubman Gill has been adjudged ICC Men’s Player of the month for September 2026. Gill beat his T20I teammate Abhishek Sharma and Zimbabwe's T20I skipper Sikandar Raza to win the award. The white-ball opener has been rewarded for his two centuries against West Indies in the recently concluded ODI series.
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Gill had scored the fastest ODI double ton, an unbeaten 223 off 133 balls in the record-breaking run chase of 406 in 43.4 overs. West Indies won the third ODI, not just a consolation win but a record-breaking run chase. But, Gill-led India won the series 2-1.
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Gil became the first player to win the ICC Men's Player of the Month award five times. He extended his record. His first win came in January 2023 when he had scored his maiden ODI double century against New Zealand. In the year 2023, he won the award for September as well. In 2025, he won the award in February and July.
The previous time an Indian won the award this year was Sanju Samson in March 2026 for his three consecutive match-winning knocks in ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. So far, Indian men's players have won the award 17 times. 11 Indian men's players have achieved the feat.
“It feels fantastic to win my fifth ICC Player of the Month award, and I am grateful to the panel for this honour,” Gill said after winning the award.
"It was immensely satisfying to score those runs and even more special to be part of successful run chases in front of our home fans, whose support always gives us an extra boost." he added.
Gill talked about how the pace of ODI cricket has moved up and players need to assess and adapt quickly as per conditions. He wants the team to grow leading to the ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2027 in South Africa. India were the runner-ups of the previous edition after agonising defeat to Australia in the final.
“The pace of ODI cricket has gone up significantly, and you must think on your feet, assess the conditions quickly and adapt to the demands of the pitch," the 27-year-old said.
"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," he added.
What’s next for Gill?
Gill missed the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 opener for Punjab. He is expected to be available for the second match which is scheduled start on October 18 against Chattisgarh.
After Ranji Trophy 2026-27 commitments, Gill will gear up for the ODI and Test series on New Zealand tour. The ODI series will begin on November 4 at Eden Park, Auckland. The five-ODI series will go on till November 15. Soon after, the two-Test series will commence on November 19 at Basin Reserve, Wellington. The Test series will be crucial to India's chances of qualifying for their third World Test Championship (WTC) final. There is a possibility that Gill may miss a game or two of the ODI series to prepare for the Test series.
Where is Gill in ICC batter rankings?
Gill is also the no.1 ranked India ODI batter with 841 rating points. Among Test batters, Gill is ranked ninth with 709 rating points.
Shafali wins ICC Women's Player of the Month award
The ICC Women's Player of the Month award went to an Indian player as well. India's 22-year-old opener Shafali Verma won the award for the first time since November last year. Shafali had scored 360 runs from seven T20Is in September 2026 at an average of 72 and impressive strike rate of 184.61. She contributed with her off-spin as well, taking six wickets at 13 apiece. Her economy rate was as low as 4.33 runs per over.
The month of September included two half-centuries and a century from the opener's bat. In the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 women's semifinal, she scored an unbeaten 100 against Bangladesh. In the final against Sri Lanka, she scored 48 and bagged two wickets for just three runs. India women's cricket team led by Harmanpreet Kaur won their second consecutive Asian Games gold medal.
“It is an incredible honour to win the ICC Player of the Month award again," Shafali said after winning the award.
"It was immensely satisfying to play my part in our victories at the Asia Cup and the Asian Games, and winning this award makes those triumphs even more special."
With captain Harmanpreet Kaur stepping down from the leadership role, Shafali was named new skipper Smriti Mandhana’s deputy of the T20I team. Shafali will be seen assisting Mandhana as vice-captain in the upcoming T20I series against Zimbabwe at home. She has her sights set on the inaugural ICC Women’s Champions Trophy 2027 at home.
“I am excited about the months ahead and determined to keep performing at my best, with the ICC Women’s Champions Trophy in February next year another tournament to look forward to," she added.
"The memory of winning the World Cup is still so fresh and special, and I can’t wait to be back on the field for an ICC tournament on home soil. It promises to be an unforgettable experience!”
Shafali set for milestones
As the T20I series will be played from October 16 to 20 at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur, Shafali will look to become first women T20I player to score 1,000 runs in the format in a calendar year. She has 863 runs already and needs 137 more runs to get the record in her name.
Shafali also has a chance to move into the list of top 10 T20I run-scorers. She is currently ranked 12th with 3,325 runs from 118 innings at an average of 30.22 and strike rate of 141 including a ton and 21 fifties. Batters ahead of her are West Indies captain Hayley Matthews (3,382 runs), former Australia skipper Meg Lanning (3,405 runs), UAE's Esha Oza (3,453 runs).
After the T20I series, she will be seen in action in the three-ODI series which will be played from October 23 to 28 at BCA Stadium, Vadodra.
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