ICC Unveils October 2026 Player of the Month Nominees Across Men’s and Women’s Categories

The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced its Player of the Month nominees for October 2026 on November 5, revealing three contenders each for the men’s and women’s awards based on performances recorded between October 1 and 31.

The men’s shortlist features South Africa’s Marco Jansen, Pakistan’s Arafat Minhas, and West Indies captain Shai Hope. On the women’s side, Bangladesh’s Sobhana Mostary, Australia’s Annabel Sutherland, and India’s Deepti Sharma earned nominations.

Men’s Nominees

Marco Jansen delivered a commanding month in Test cricket, amassing 198 runs and claiming 13 wickets. His standout performance came in the second Test against Australia, where he scored 85 runs and recorded match figures of 5/33 and 1/34. These efforts propelled him to the top of the ICC Men’s Test All-Rounder Rankings, making him the first South African to hold the position since Vernon Philander in August 2014.

Arafat Minhas, the 21-year-old left-arm spinning all-rounder, was named Player of the Series in the Pakistan Tri-Series. He scored 149 runs at a strike rate of 119.20 and took nine wickets at an economy of 5.13. His most impactful displays included a six-wicket haul for 40 runs against England and a 61 off 59 balls against Sri Lanka in Lahore, followed by 31 runs in the final.

Shai Hope produced three unbeaten centuries during October, accumulating 261 runs across five T20Is against India at a strike rate of 190.51. He struck 162 not out in the opening match at New Chandigarh, followed by 102 not out in the second match at Ranchi, and remained unbeaten in the fourth T20I at Hyderabad, underscoring a remarkable vein of form for the West Indies captain.

Women’s Nominees

Deepti Sharma earned her nomination through an all-round showing in India’s ICC Women’s Championship ODI series against Zimbabwe at home, which India swept 3-0. She scored 106 not out with the bat and claimed five wickets at an economy of 3.42 across the three ODIs. In the preceding T20I series, Sharma contributed 49 runs off 37 balls and took two wickets in three matches. She previously won the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award in December 2023.

Sobhana Mostary made history for Bangladesh women during the ICC Women’s Championship series in Australia. She struck 118 off 134 balls in the second ODI at Brisbane, registering the highest score by a Bangladesh woman batter against Australia. She finished the series with 129 runs at a strike rate of 73.71.

Annabel Sutherland contributed significantly with both bat and ball as Australia completed a 3-0 ODI series sweep over Bangladesh. She scored 99 runs at a strike rate of 132.00 and took six wickets at an economy of 4.12. Her best individual performance came in the first ODI with figures of 4/30, and she added an unbeaten 74 in the third ODI. In the T20I series against New Zealand that also fell within October, Sutherland scored 19 runs and claimed one wicket across three matches.

Source link