September belonged to India's openers. The International Cricket Council on October 13 named Shubman Gill and Shafali Verma as its Men's and Women's Players of the Month for September 2026, completing an all-Indian double. For Gill, it is a fifth monthly award, the most by any male cricketer, while Shafali picks up the honour for the second time in her career.
Gill's Record-Breaking Month
Gill played only two ODIs in September, but he made both count. Against the West Indies, he opened the series with 110 in Thiruvananthapuram and then produced one of the most remarkable innings the format has seen. In the second ODI, he smashed 223 off 133 balls, reaching his double hundred in just 117 deliveries – the fastest ODI double century on record. That knock powered India to an eight-wicket win while chasing a mammoth 406, with 39 balls to spare.
He beat compatriot Abhishek Sharma and Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza to the award. The ICC described it as "a prolific month of September with two thumping hundreds" that made Gill a record five-time winner.
"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. Reflecting on the run-fest, he added: "The pace of ODI cricket has gone up significantly."
Gill's Five ICC Monthly Awards
| 1st award | January 2023 |
| 2nd award | September 2023 |
| 3rd award | February 2025 |
| 4th award | July 2025 |
| 5th award | September 2026 |
| Next best among men | Babar Azam (3 awards) |
| Overall record | Level with West Indies' Hayley Matthews on five |
Shafali's Golden September
If Gill's month was about one jaw-dropping knock, Shafali's was about relentless consistency on the biggest stages. She played a central role as India won the Women's Asia Cup in the UAE and then the gold medal at the Asian Games in Nagoya.
Across seven T20 Internationals in the month, she scored 360 runs at an average of 72 and a strike rate of nearly 185, with two fifties and a hundred. She also chipped in with six wickets at an economy rate of just over four.
At the Asia Cup, she finished as the top run-scorer with 236 runs in five innings, including 64 in the semi-final against Bangladesh and 68 in the final against Sri Lanka as India won a record-extending eighth title. At the Asian Games, she struck an unbeaten 100 off 49 balls against Bangladesh in the semi-final – her maiden T20I century – and followed it with 48 in the gold-medal match, which India won by 147 runs against Sri Lanka.
She edged out Sri Lanka captain Chamari Atapattu and India teammate Sree Charani. "It is an incredible honour to win the ICC Player of the Month award again," Shafali said, adding that it was "immensely satisfying to play my part in our victories."
Shafali Verma: September 2026 in Numbers
| T20I runs | 360 in 7 matches |
| Average / strike rate | 72 / about 185 |
| Wickets | 6 |
| Asia Cup | 236 runs, top scorer; India won 8th title |
| Asian Games | 100* off 49 balls in semi-final; gold medal |
| Previous award | November 2025 |
A Third Indian Double
This is the third time India have swept both the men's and women's awards in the same month. Jasprit Bumrah and Smriti Mandhana did it in June 2024, and Abhishek Sharma and Mandhana repeated the feat in September 2025. Across all countries, it is only the fifth such double in the history of the awards, with Sri Lanka and the West Indies managing it once each.
The BCCI was quick to celebrate, calling it "a month to remember for our #TeamIndia openers."
What It Means for Indian Cricket
The awards underline how strong India's top order looks across formats. Gill, who leads India in Tests and ODIs, has turned into the anchor around whom the 50-over side is being built. His ability to combine big hundreds with rapid scoring fits the modern ODI template he spoke about.
Shafali's return to form is just as significant. Her blend of power at the top and handy overs with the ball gives the women's team valuable balance, and she is now ranked fourth among T20I batters, just ahead of Mandhana in fifth.
What's Next
India's men are in the middle of a busy home season, with the five-match T20I series against the West Indies level at 2-2 and the decider scheduled for October 17 in Bengaluru. Both players will hope their September form is only the start of a long, productive season.
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