Shubman Gill, Shafali Verma clean sweep ICC awards for September 2026

Shubman Gill has equalled the record for most ICC Player of the Month awards after his big scores against the West Indies. Women's team opener Shafali Verma earned the September honour after starring in India's Asia Cup and Asian Games triumphs.Shubman Gill and Shafali Verma sweep ICC monthly awards for September. (Photo: AP, Reuters)New Delhi,Oct 13, 2026 12:36 ISTIndia men's team captain Shubman Gill and women's team opener Shafali Verma have won the ICC Men's and Women's Player of the Month awards for September 2026. Gill was recognised for his performances against the West Indies in ODIs, while Shafali's award came after her contributions to India's Asia Cup and Asian Games triumphs.Gill has now won the men's award five times, equalling West Indies captain Hayley Matthews' record for the most monthly honours. His previous wins came in January and September 2023, and February and July 2025.For Shafali, this is her second Player of the Month award. She first won it in November 2025 after playing a key role in India's Women's World Cup triumph, including her match-winning performance in the final against South Africa.Both players were central to India's success during September, with Gill producing two major innings against the West Indies and Shafali delivering consistently with both bat and ball. GILL'S RECORD-BREAKING ODI SHOWGill scored 110 in the first ODI against the West Indies in Thiruvananthapuram before hitting 223 off 133 balls in the next match. His double-century helped India chase down 406 with eight wickets in hand and 39 balls to spare. The innings was the fastest double-century in ODI history.“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. Gill also pointed to the changing demands of ODI cricket, particularly the need to assess conditions and adapt to the target during a chase.“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,” he added.SHAFALI SHINES WITH BAT AND BALLShafali scored 360 runs in seven T20Is in September, averaging 72 at a strike rate of 184.61. She also took six wickets at an average of 13 and an economy rate of 4.33.At the Women's Asia Cup in the UAE, she finished as the leading run-scorer with 236 runs in five innings. She scored 64 in the semi-final against Bangladesh and 68 in the final against Sri Lanka as India won a record-extending eighth title.Shafali carried her form into the Asian Games in Nagoya, scoring 188 runs in three innings. Her unbeaten 100 off 49 balls against Bangladesh in the semi-final was her maiden T20I century. She then scored 48 in the gold-medal match against Sri Lanka, which India won by 147 runs. She also took four wickets at the Games, including two in the final.“It is an incredible honour to win the ICC Player of the Month award again,” Shafali said. “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.”India have now swept both monthly awards on multiple occasions. Jasprit Bumrah and Smriti Mandhana won the men's and women's honours in June 2024, while Abhishek Sharma and Mandhana did so in September 2025.- Ends