India ODI and Test skipper Shubman Gill and women’s T20I vice-captain Shafali Verma were on Tuesday named the ICC Men’s and Women’s Players of the Month for September 2026, respectively.
Gill won the award for the fifth time, while Verma claimed her second. No other cricketer has won as many ICC Men’s Player of the Month awards as , who enjoyed a stellar ODI series against the at home in September.
The Punjab cricketer finished the ODI series as the top run-getter with 334 runs from three matches that included a knock of 110 in the first ODI and an unbeaten 223 in the second ODI, wherein India chased down 406 in 43.3 overs.
, on the other hand, impressed in both the as well as the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. The 22-year-old finished the 2026 Women’s Asia Cup as the top run-getter with 236 runs from five matches at a strike-rate of 171.01, and also took two wickets.
She also finished as the top run-getter at the 2026 , with 188 runs from three matches, and took four wickets from two innings.
This is the third time Indian players have won the Player of the Month award for both men and women in the same month, and the fifth time overall that players from the same cricketing board have won the awards.
Jasprit Bumrah and Smriti Mandhana won the Player of the Month awards in June 2024. Mandhana won it again in September 2025, with Abhishek Sharma clinching the men’s award. Apart from becoming the man with most Player of the Month awards, Gill also equalled West Indian women’s cricketer Hayley Mathews with five Player of the Month awards.
Gill was over the moon on winning the Player of the Month award for a record fifth time.
“It feels fantastic to win my fifth ICC Player of the Month award, and I am grateful to the panel for this honour. 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,” Gill told ICC in a statement.
“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 and the target. 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 and balanced team capable of rising to the challenges ahead,” he added.
Verma too expressed happiness on winning the award and said that she was looking forward for the inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy, slated to take place in India in 2027.
She said, “It is an incredible honour to win the ICC Player of the Month award again. 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. 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. 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!”
