India skipper Shubman Gill, who recently scored centuries against the West Indies in ODIS, and women's team opener Shafali Verma, who has played a big part in India's victories in the Women's Asia Cup and Asian Games, have been named ICC Men's and Women's Player of the Month for September 2026.

Shubman Gill has been named the Men's Player of the Month for the fifth time, equaling the record of West Indies women's captain Hayley Matthews, who has the most Player of the Month awards. Shafali has won the Women's Player of the Month award twice, the most recent being in November 2025, when she led India to the Women's World Cup victory.

Shubman Gill award equals Hayley Matthews' record with fifth ICC

Shubman Gill's century against West Indies in India's opening ODI in Thiruvananthapuram and an astonishing double-century in the next encounter have propelled him to the top of the list of contenders for the ICC Men's Player of the Month for September.

After hitting 110 in the first match, the right-handed batsman hammered 223 runs off 133 balls in the second match, guiding India to a thrilling eight-wicket win. The innings featured a plethora of power hitting and stood out as one of the most spectacular run chases in recent ODIs, with India's total of 406 giving them eight wickets and 39 balls to reach the target.
Gill's unbeaten 223 came in a 146-ball innings and broke the world record for the fastest double-century in an ODI.

Gill's latest heroics saw him bag his fifth monthly ICC award and equal the record previously held by Matthews. He has already been judged the ICC Player of the Month once in 2023 (January) and thrice this year (September 2023, February and July 2025).

On receiving the award, Gill said: “It feels wonderful to win my fifth ICC Player of the Month award, and I must say that I am grateful to the panel for considering me for the award. It means a lot to me.”

The India skipper spoke about the changing dynamics of ODI cricket and how batters now have to accelerate the innings at a faster pace than ever before: “The nature of ODI cricket has changed, and players have to think on their feet these days. You need to analyze the situation and the conditions at hand quickly and adjust your game plan accordingly. The game has become so frantic, and players have had to up their game, especially when it comes to scoring at a decent run rate.”

Shafali Verma's Stellar Campaign Helps Her Bag Second ICC Monthly Award

Shafali Verma's brilliant all-round display of batting and bowling in India's seven T20Is in September has seen the teenage sensation named the ICC Women's Player of the Month for the second time in her career.
The India opener has been in sublime form this September, posting eye-catching scores with the bat and picking up crucial wickets with the ball in equal measure. Shafali remained unbeaten in all her six innings, scoring 360 runs at an average of 72 and a strike rate of 184.61.

Along with six wickets at an incredible average of 13 and an economy rate of 4.33, she put in a stunning all-round display of cricket to lead India to a hat-trick of Asia Cup triumphs in the United Arab Emirates. Shafali played a match-winning innings in the Women's Asia Cup 2026 semi-final and final as India booked their place in the final against Sri Lanka.

She scored 64 in the tie-tying semi-final against Bangladesh before remaining unbeaten for 68 in the final. Her stellar form carried into the Asian Games as Shafali remained unbeaten for 100 off 49 deliveries in the T20I women's semi-final against Bangladesh.

Shafali scored an unbeaten 100 off 49 deliveries to record her first-ever T20I century in India's Asian Games semi-final victory over Bangladesh. She then scored 48 runs in the final against Sri Lanka, helping India win the gold medal match by a mammoth 147 runs.

Shafali also picked up four wickets, two of which came in the final, to help India defend their Asian Games T20I title. The 18-year-old opener has so far received the ICC Player of the Month award for the second time in her young career. Shafali was bestowed the prestigious honor for the first time in November 2025 for her stupendous contribution to India's Women's World Cup win, including a match-winning innings against South Africa in the final.

Shafali said: “It is truly an honor to have received the ICC Player of the Month award. It feels good that my efforts have been recognized by the panel. The wins in the Asia Cup and Asian Games are a bonus for me. It is special to get the award for my contribution in those tournaments.”

India's Double Win in September 2026

Shubman Gill and Shafali's recent achievements have once again placed India in the limelight for capturing the attention of the ICC. The latest double win in the monthly awards has come on the heels of other similar wins this year. The last time around, Jasprit Bumrah and Smriti Mandhana had both received the awards in June 2024. In September 2025, Abhishek Sharma and Smriti Mandhana had bagged the honors.

With Shafali Verma being judged the ICC Women's Player of the Month and Gill equaling the record of five Player of the Month awards, September 2026 will go down as another special month for Indian cricket.

Shubman Gill and Shafali's performances in September 2026 have been a pointer to the fact that Indian cricket has come of age. Not only did Gill script India's emphatic win over West Indies, but Shafali also emerged as one of the best all-rounders in women's cricket.