India captain Shubman Gill has won his fifth ICC Men’s Player of the Month award after an outstanding run of performances against the West Indies in September, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Tuesday.
Gill finished ahead of fellow nominees Abhishek Sharma of India and Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza to extend his record as the men’s player with the most wins in the monthly award’s history.
The Indian skipper amassed 333 runs across the first two ODIs against the West Indies, registering a century in the opening match before producing an unbeaten double hundred in the second to help India secure consecutive victories by eight wickets.
Gill began his remarkable run with a 110 off 108 balls in Thiruvananthapuram on September 27, guiding India to a successful chase of 296 after the West Indies posted 295 for seven.
His performance in Guwahati three days later was even more remarkable. Chasing the visitors’ imposing total of 405 for seven, Gill struck an unbeaten 223 off just 133 deliveries, featuring 26 fours and eight sixes, as India reached 406 for two in 43.3 overs with 39 balls remaining.
Gill reached his century in 62 deliveries, the fastest by an Indian captain in men’s ODIs, before completing his double century off 117 balls, the fastest in the format’s history.
His innings remains the highest individual score in a successful ODI run chase. He also shared a 255-run opening partnership with Rohit Sharma, who scored 101 off 75 balls, marking India’s highest opening stand on home soil.
India eventually won the three-match series 2-1, despite losing the final ODI on October 3.
The latest honour adds to Gill’s previous Player of the Month wins in January and September 2023, February 2025 and July 2025. He becomes the first Indian men’s player to win the award five times, taking India’s overall tally to 17 victories across 11 players. Sanju Samson was the country’s most recent winner, in March 2026.
Reacting to the recognition, Gill said he was delighted to receive the award and described the successful run chases in front of home supporters as particularly satisfying.
He also highlighted the increasing pace of ODI cricket, stressing the need for batters to assess conditions quickly and adapt their approach according to the demands of the pitch.
With the next ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup scheduled to be held in southern Africa in 2027, Gill said India would continue working to improve its standards and build a balanced squad capable of meeting the challenges ahead.
