India’s dominance in international cricket reached another milestone as national men’s team captain Shubman Gill and women’s opening batter Shafali Verma were named the ICC Men’s and Women’s Players of the Month for September. Gill’s triumph marks a record-breaking fifth time he has claimed the accolade, distinguishing him as the most decorated male cricketer in the history of the monthly award. Meanwhile, Verma earned the honor for the second time in her career following a series of commanding performances across regional and multi-sport tournaments.
Gill’s September campaign against the West Indies featured extraordinary run-scoring authority. Across the first two One Day Internationals (ODIs) of the three-match series, the right-hander amassed 333 runs. After striking a composed 110 off 108 balls in the opening fixture—where India comfortably chased down 295 within 41.4 overs—he produced an unprecedented display of power-hitting in the second ODI at Guwahati.
The West Indies posted a formidable 405 for 7, marking their first-ever total above 400 in ODI history. In response, Gill partnered with veteran opener Rohit Sharma, who scored 101 off 75 balls, to establish a 255-run opening stand—the highest opening partnership recorded on Indian soil in ODIs. Gill reached his century off just 62 deliveries, setting a record for the fastest ODI hundred by an Indian captain. He then completed a double century off 117 balls, registering the fastest double-hundred in ODI history. Ending undefeated on 223 off 133 balls, Gill anchored India to the 406-run target with 39 balls to spare, setting the highest individual score in a successful ODI run chase. India subsequently closed out the series 2–1.
With this latest award, Gill breaks away from previous contenders to hold the record for the most ICC Player of the Month titles individually, having previously won in January and September 2023, as well as February and July 2025.
In the women’s category, 22-year-old Shafali Verma built on the form that saw her win her first ICC monthly award in November 2024 during India’s successful World Cup campaign. During the Asia Cup, Verma finished as the tournament’s leading run-scorer, accumulating 236 runs across five innings. Her key contributions included a half-century (64) against Bangladesh in the semi-finals and a crucial 68 against Sri Lanka in the final, steering India to an unprecedented eighth Asia Cup crown.
Verma carried her form to the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, scoring 188 runs across three innings. In the semi-final against Bangladesh, she registered her maiden Twenty20 International century, scoring an unbeaten 100 off 49 balls. She followed this with an unbeaten 40 against the hosts, Japan. In the gold medal match against Sri Lanka, Verma contributed 48 runs with the bat and proved vital with her off-spin. Having taken two wickets during the Asia Cup and four in the Asian Games, she picked up two key wickets in the final, helping dismiss Sri Lanka and securing the gold medal for India by a margin of 147 runs.
