India’s Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill entered his name in the history books on Tuesday (October 13) by becoming the first player in the world to win the ICC Player of the Month award five times.
The right-handed batter from Punjab played two ODIs for India last month (in September) against the West Indies and scored 110 and 223 runs in Thiruvananthapuram and Guwahati, respectively.
Gill defeated the likes of India’s Abhishek Sharma and Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza to win the top prize.
Abhishek played three T20Is for India in New Delhi against Afghanistan and one against Japan in Sano last month. He scored 82, 39 and 108 in three matches against the Ibrahim Zadran-led side but was dismissed for a golden duck in the first-ever T20I between India and Japan.
On the other hand, Raza played three ODIs against Australia in September and scored 57, 45 and 81*. In addition to that, he also picked up three wickets.
The award on Tuesday is Gill’s fifth ICC Men’s Player of the Month award. He previously won the ICC Player of the Month awards in January 2023, September 2023, February 2025 and July 2025.
The last Indian to win the ICC Player of the Month award before Gill was Sanju Samson. Samson bagged the honour in March for his knocks of 97*, 89 and 89 in T20 World Cup 2026 matches against the West Indies, England and New Zealand.
“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 in an ICC release.
India batting superstar becomes the first-ever five-time ICC Men’s Player of the Month winner after a run-filled series against West Indies 🌟
Find out the winner ➡️ https://t.co/vfMePK59UQ https://t.co/LszB7cqD7C
— ICC (@ICC) October 13, 2026
“It was immensely satisfying to score those runs, and it was even more special to be part of successful run chases in front of our home fans, whose support always gives us an extra boost,” he added.
The Indian captain also addressed the changing nature of the game and how important it is to adapt to it.
“The pace of ODI cricket has gone up significantly, and you must think on your feet, assess the conditions quickly and adapt to the demands of the pitch,” he said.
“With the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in southern Africa next year, we are determined to keep raising our standards and build a strong, well-rounded team capable of rising to the challenges ahead,” he added.
