Shubman Gill and Shafali Verma Named ICC Players of the Month for September

The International Cricket Council named India's Shubman Gill the men's Player of the Month and Shafali Verma the women's Player of the Month for September 2026.

Gill's selection marks the fifth time he has received the award, a record. The recognition follows his performances in the ODI series against the West Indies. Verma earned the women's award for her contributions in the Asia Cup and the Asian Games. Both announcements were made on 13 October.

Gill has captained India in limited-overs formats and has compiled consistent scores across recent series. The September ODIs produced several match-defining innings that underpinned India's results. Verma, an opener, has accelerated scoring rates in T20 and ODI cricket and delivered key knocks in the multi-nation tournaments held during the month.

The ICC Player of the Month awards are decided by a combination of statistical performance and a panel vote. Previous winners have included players from multiple teams, but Indian cricketers have featured regularly in recent cycles. Gill's fifth award places him ahead of other active players in the cumulative count for the men's category.

Neither player issued an immediate extended statement beyond brief acknowledgements circulated by team accounts. The awards arrive during a period when India is preparing for further bilateral series and evaluating squad composition for upcoming multi-team events. Individual recognition of this kind often coincides with discussions about leadership roles and batting order in the white-ball sides.

The September window also included the Asian Games cricket competition, which expanded the number of international matches available for selection. Verma's performances across both the Asia Cup and the Games provided the volume of data that supported her nomination. Full match-by-match statistics underlying the awards are available on the ICC website.