India Claims ICC Player of the Month Double Again, Gill and Shafali Make History

India have once again swept the ICC Player of the Month awards, with two of the country’s stars, Shubman Gill and Shafali Verma, named the men’s and women’s Players of the Month for September. Indian men’s team captain Gill claimed the award with a record-breaking performance, earning the honour for the fifth time in his career. Meanwhile, talented opener Shafali secured the women’s award after delivering a series of impressive batting performances in the Women’s Asia Cup and the Asian Games.

Gill’s outstanding batting display in the recently concluded home ODI series against the West Indies propelled him to the top of the race. In the opening match of the series in Thiruvananthapuram, he scored an unbeaten 110 to help India begin their campaign with a dominant eight-wicket victory. He raised the bar even higher in the following match, producing one of the finest innings of his career. The right-handed batter smashed a mammoth 223 off just 133 balls, setting a record for the fastest double century in the history of international one-day cricket.

Reacting to the prestigious recognition, the Indian captain highlighted his contribution to the team’s success. He noted that playing a role in successful run chases in front of home supporters always brings extra joy. Emphasising the evolving pace of modern 50-over cricket, Gill also pledged to build a well-balanced and organised team with an eye on next year’s ODI World Cup in South Africa.

With this latest achievement, Gill has equalled the record for the most ICC Player of the Month awards won by a male or female cricketer, joining West Indies captain Hayley Matthews with five awards. Meanwhile, cricketers from the same country have claimed both the men’s and women’s honours in the same month five times in total this year. Notably, Indian cricketers have completed the double on three of those occasions, underlining the country’s remarkable dominance in the monthly awards.