Shubman Gill has won a record fifth men’s ICC Player of the Month award, while Shafali Verma has claimed her second women’s award. The September 2026 winners were announced on 13 October, giving India both honours in the same award cycle.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed the dual result in its announcement. The International Cricket Council (ICC) also confirmed that Indian players won both awards for September. This is the fifth time players from the same board have won both monthly awards and the third time the winners have been Indian.
Why Shubman Gill won his fifth ICC award
Gill’s fifth award extends his men’s record, according to the BCCI and ICC. His earlier wins came in January and September 2023, followed by February and July 2025. The tally also puts him level with West Indies captain Hayley Matthews for five Player of the Month awards overall.
The award recognised Gill’s recent ODI performances against the West Indies. He scored 110 in the first ODI in Thiruvananthapuram as India won by eight wickets. He then made 223 from 133 balls while India chased 406, finishing the chase with eight wickets in hand and 39 balls remaining.
The two innings showed Gill’s value in different situations. His opening hundred helped India take an early series lead, while the double-century came under the pressure of a 406-run chase. Both performances were cited in the official award announcements.
Shafali Verma takes her second award
Shafali Verma’s second ICC Player of the Month award followed her performances in India’s Women’s Asia Cup win and at the Asian Games. The BCCI says she led India’s scoring in the Asia Cup with 360 runs at a strike rate of 184.61, while also taking six wickets.
She then scored an unbeaten 100 against Bangladesh in the Asian Games semifinal and made 48 against Sri Lanka in the final. The ICC says Verma’s first award came in November 2025 after her match-winning innings in the Women’s World Cup final against South Africa.
Readers can also revisit Shafali Verma’s 3,000-run T20I milestone for earlier India women’s cricket context.
India’s third dual-award win
India’s previous pairings were Jasprit Bumrah and Smriti Mandhana in June 2024, followed by Abhishek Sharma and Mandhana in September 2025. The latest result therefore adds Gill and Verma to a short list of Indian winners from the same monthly award cycle.
The awards recognise a month in which the two players contributed in different formats. Gill’s recognition came through ODI batting, while Verma combined fast-scoring T20 innings with wickets. Their individual award totals now stand at five and two respectively.
FAQs
How many ICC Player of the Month awards has Shubman Gill won?
Gill has won five ICC Player of the Month awards, a men’s record according to the BCCI and ICC.
How many ICC Player of the Month awards has Shafali Verma won?
Verma has won the award twice. Her first came in November 2025, and her second was announced for September 2026.
What were Gill’s scores against the West Indies?
Gill scored 110 in the first ODI and then made 223 from 133 balls in the chase of 406, according to the BCCI and ICC announcements.
