Talented India opener Shubman Gill has been named the ICC Player of the Month for September 2023; it was revealed on October 13. He was rewarded for his purple patch in the format leading up to the World Cup which began on October 5 in India.
Gill won while contesting for the award with teammate Mohammed Siraj and England opener Dawid Malan. He complied 480 ODI runs at an average of 80 during September.
The opener made the most runs at the Asia Cup with 302 at an average of 75.5, including an unbeaten 27* as India crushed Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in the final.
CWC 2023: WATCH - "Khadaa ho jaa aur khel" - Yuvraj Singh has special message for Shubman Gill
He was then the Player of the Series in the 3-match ODI series between India and Australia, as he scored 178 runs in two innings including 74 and 104 runs in Mohali and Indore respectively. He had previously scored 121 against Bangladesh in September in the Asia Cup.
Gill also scored three half-centuries last month and was only dismissed for less than fifty on two occasions from eight innings in that time. The 24-year-old has an incredible record in ODIs with 1917 runs in 35 matches at an average of 66.1 and at a strike rate of 102.84.
"I am delighted to have won the ICC Player of the Month award for the month of September. It's a great privilege to represent India at the international level and contribute towards the team's cause. This award will further motivate me to continue to seek excellence and make the country proud," Shubman Gill said, as quoted by the ICC release.
"I managed to make a handy contribution towards the team which had the fortune of winning the Asia Cup 2023 and then, follow it up with an ODI series win against Australia in September. I take this opportunity to thank all my teammates, family and the coaches, without whom this achievement would not have been possible."
He is currently the second ranked batter in ICC ODI rankings. He is currently recovering from a bout of dengue and missed the first two matches of Cricket World Cup, which India won against Australia and Afghanistan.
(ICC inputs)
