On 2026-10-13 the International Cricket Council announced the Player of the Month awards for September, naming Shubman Gill as the men’s winner. This marked the fifth time Gill has received the honour, a world record in cricket. The ICC highlighted his exceptional batting performances against the West Indies, noting that he scored a century and a double century in the two ODI matches played that month. Gill’s first innings yielded 110 runs at Thiruvananthapuram, and his second innings was an unbeaten 223 at Guwahati. Reflecting on the achievement, Gill said, "Winning this award for the fifth time is a wonderful experience."
Also on 2026-10-13 the ICC named Shafali Verma as the women’s Player of the Month for September. Verma’s award followed stellar showings in the Asia Cup and the Asian Games, where she accumulated 360 runs and took six wickets. Her contributions came across seven T20 international matches, underscoring her all‑round impact in the limited‑overs format during the period.
The recognition continued the next day, 2026-10-14, when Shubham Gill was awarded the Player of the Match for his performance in the West Indies series. According to the announcement, he amassed 333 runs in the series, a tally that also marked the fifth time he has won the Player of the Match award, making him the first cricketer to reach that milestone. This achievement is separate from the ICC monthly honour but reinforces his consistent output with the bat.
These figures directly contributed to the ICC’s citation of a century and a double century.
Gill scored 110 runs in the first ODI and an unbeaten 223 in the second ODI against West Indies in September. These figures directly contributed to the ICC’s citation of a century and a double century. Beyond the monthly award, Gill is the fastest opener to reach 3000 runs. Verma’s numbers are equally precise: 360 runs, six wickets, and seven T20I appearances in September. Sikandar Raza, one of Gill’s nominal challengers for the men’s award, is recorded as having taken three wickets in the same timeframe.
Other nominees for the men's award were Abhishek Sharma of India and Sikandar Raza of Zimbabwe. The nomination list included Abhishek Sharma and Sikandar Raza, underscoring the competition Gill overcame.
The sequence of announcements—first the ICC monthly honours on 2026-10-13, followed by the Player of the Match award on 2026-10-14—creates a snapshot of Gill’s sustained excellence across different formats and competitions. His record‑setting fifth ICC Player of the Month award, Verma’s women’s accolade, and the Player of the Match recognition collectively highlight a period of high achievement for Indian cricket in September 2026. Future prospects remain unclear.