Four Indians Nominated for ICC Player of the Month Awards

From a record-breaking 30-ball T20I century to an Asian Games gold-medal campaign, India's September produced performances impossible to ignore.

India isn't just producing cricket stars right now — it is producing award contenders by the handful.

The ICC has announced its Player of the Month nominees for September 2026, and India has four names across the men's and women's shortlists.

Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill have made the men's shortlist, while Shafali Verma and Sree Charani are among the women's nominees. The quartet arrives on the list after a month that included record-breaking batting, dominant Asia Cup performances and an Asian Games gold-medal campaign.

The Four Names Making India's Case

There are two very different stories behind India's four nominations — but they all lead to the same place: the ICC Player of the Month shortlist.

Abhishek Sharma: The 30-Ball Explosion

If one innings defines India's men's shortlist, it is Abhishek Sharma's extraordinary assault against Afghanistan.

The left-hander smashed 108 from just 34 balls, reaching his century in only 30 deliveries. That made him the fastest Indian batter to score a T20I century, moving past Rohit Sharma's previous 35-ball mark.

Across four T20Is in September, Abhishek accumulated 229 runs. He also arrives with previous ICC Player of the Month experience, having won the men's award in September 2025.

Shubman Gill: Captain's Month, Batter's Numbers

While Abhishek dominated the T20I conversation, Shubman Gill made his case in the 50-over format.

India's captain scored 333 runs in just two ODIs against the West Indies during September.

Gill began the series with 110 in Thiruvananthapuram before producing a stunning 223 off 133 balls in the second ODI. His latest nomination is his fifth for the ICC Player of the Month award.

Shafali Verma: Asia Cup Dominance Meets Asian Games Gold

Shafali Verma's September was not about one spectacular innings. It was about doing damage almost everywhere she played.

The explosive opener finished the month with 360 runs at a strike rate of 184.61 and emerged as the leading run-scorer in India's successful Women's Asia Cup campaign.

And then came the Asian Games.

Shafali smashed an unbeaten 100 against Bangladesh in the semi-final before contributing 48 in India's gold-medal victory against Sri Lanka in the final.

Sree Charani: The Bowler Who Changed the Conversation

If Shafali supplied the fireworks, Sree Charani supplied the control.

The left-arm spinner claimed 18 wickets in seven T20Is during September while maintaining an outstanding economy rate of 3.30.

Her performance in the Asian Games final was particularly important. She returned figures of 2/13 as India secured the gold medal.

So, Who Has the Strongest Case?

That is where this year's shortlist gets fascinating.

Abhishek has the headline record. Gill has the massive ODI numbers. Shafali combined batting dominance with an Asian Games gold-medal campaign. Charani produced a remarkable wicket-taking month and a historic ICC ranking mark.

There is no single statistical category that settles the debate. Each Indian nominee brings a completely different argument to the ICC Player of the Month race.

How Will the Winners Be Decided?

The final winners will not be decided by statistics alone.

The ICC Voting Academy holds 90% of the vote, while registered fans account for the remaining 10%. Fans can vote through the ICC's official awards platform.

More Than an Award Shortlist

Four Indian names on two ICC shortlists tell a bigger story about the depth of Indian cricket.

The men's nominees represent two different generations of India's batting attack — Gill's established leadership and Abhishek's explosive rise. On the women's side, Shafali's destructive opening and Charani's emerging spin threat underline the depth of India's current T20 setup.

And with all four players contributing to India's successful September, the nominations feel less like isolated individual achievements and more like a snapshot of a team entering another strong phase.