Shubman Gill wins fifth ICC Player of the Month award after record-breaking 223 against West Indies

What do you do after scoring a century? If you are Shubman Gill, you come back three days later and make a double-century, while chasing a target of 406. That extraordinary run against the West Indies has now earned India’s captain another milestone: his fifth ICC Men’s Player of the Month award.

The International Cricket Council announced Gill as the September 2026 winner on Tuesday, October 13, placing him ahead of fellow Indian Abhishek Sharma and Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza. The award extends Gill’s record as the men’s player with the most monthly wins.

His September numbers tell the story of a batter in remarkable form. Gill scored 333 runs across India’s first two ODIs against the West Indies, recording a century in the opening match and an unbeaten double-century in the second. India won both games by eight wickets.

Shubman Gill’s unbeaten 223 rewrote ODI cricket’s record books

The defining performance came in Guwahati on September 30. After the West Indies piled up 405/7, their first ODI total above 400, India faced a daunting target of 406. Gill responded with an unbeaten 223 off just 133 balls, striking 26 fours and eight sixes. India reached 406/2 in 43.3 overs, completing the second-highest successful run chase in ODI history.

According to the ICC, Gill reached his century in 62 balls, the fastest hundred by an Indian captain in the format. His double-century arrived in 117 deliveries, making it the fastest in men’s ODI history. His 223 also became the highest individual score in a successful ODI chase.

At the other end, Rohit Sharma struck 101 off 75 balls. Their 255-run opening partnership was India’s highest at home, turning a seemingly formidable chase into a statement of batting dominance.

A century in the first ODI set the tone for Gill’s award-winning month

Gill’s record-breaking double-century was not an isolated burst of form. In the series opener in Thiruvananthapuram on September 27, he scored 110 off 108 balls as India chased down the West Indies’ 295/7, reaching 296 in 41.4 overs. The back-to-back centuries gave India a commanding start to the three-match series. Although the West Indies won the third ODI on October 3, India secured the series 2-1.

Reuters described Gill’s Guwahati innings as a landmark performance in a historic run chase, with his partnership with Rohit helping India overhaul the target with 39 balls to spare.

Gill’s fifth ICC award puts him ahead of his male peers

Gill previously won the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award in January and September 2023, followed by February and July 2025. His latest honour adds to that tally and reinforces his standing among the leading batters in international cricket. Reacting to the award, Gill said it felt fantastic to win for a fifth time, adding that scoring those runs and completing successful chases in front of home fans had been especially satisfying.

He also pointed to the changing pace of ODI cricket, saying batters must assess conditions quickly and adapt to the pitch. With the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in southern Africa on the horizon, he said India were determined to keep improving and build a well-rounded team.

For Gill, September was about more than an individual award. It was a month in which he led from the front, delivered under pressure and turned a record-breaking innings into another landmark in his career.

(With inputs from ANI)