new delhi, Oct 7
Atrio of standout men’s performers, including two from India, and another from Zimbabwe, along with three prolific women’s batters from India, Pakistan and South Africa have been shortlisted for the ICC Player of the Month awards for September 2025, following a month of exceptional individual brilliance across formats.
Abhishek, Kuldeep and Bennett headline men’s nominees
India’s rising T20 star Abhishek Sharma continued his breakthrough year with a stunning run of form at the Asia Cup 2025, where he was named Player of the Tournament as India clinched the title for a record ninth time.
The left-hander amassed 314 runs in seven T20Is, including three half-centuries, while striking at a remarkable 200.00.
His fearless stroke play at the top of the order set the tone for India’s dominance throughout the tournament.
Abhishek’s exploits also saw him achieve a historic milestone, recording the highest-ever batting rating in men’s T20I history with 931 points, underlining his meteoric rise on the international stage.
Joining him among the nominees is teammate Kuldeep Yadav, who enjoyed a dream campaign with the ball. The left-arm wrist spinner finished as the leading wicket-taker at the Asia Cup with 17 wickets at an economy rate of 6.27. He began the tournament with extraordinary figures of 4/7 against the UAE and capped it with another 4/30 in the final against Pakistan. Taking at least one wicket in every match, Kuldeep’s ability to strike in the middle overs proved instrumental in India’s championship run.
Zimbabwe’s Brian Bennett completes the men’s shortlist after an outstanding September with the bat. The explosive opener piled up 497 runs in nine T20Is at an average of 55.22 and a strike rate of 165.66. Following dominant series against Sri Lanka and Namibia, he carried his rich form into the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Regional Final, smashing scores of 72, 65 and 111 in his first three innings.
His consistency and clean power-hitting were pivotal as Zimbabwe secured qualification for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Smriti, Sidra and Tazmin vie for women’s honours
On the women’s side, India’s Smriti Mandhana, Pakistan’s Sidra Amin, and South Africa’s Tazmin Brits have earned nominations after producing a series of commanding performances with the bat.
Smriti continued her golden run of form in September, leading India’s charge at the ongoing ICC Women’s World Cup. The elegant left-hander produced match-winning performances at the top of the order, combining composure with class to anchor India’s unbeaten start in the tournament, further strengthening her claim for the monthly honour.
Pakistan opener Sidra Amin was in scintillating form during the ODI series against South Africa, finishing as the top run-scorer with 293 runs in three matches at an astonishing average of 293.00. She struck unbeaten centuries of 121and 122 in back-to-back games, setting up strong totals for Pakistan, and followed it up with a composed unbeaten fifty in the final match to guide her side to a consolation win.
For South Africa, Tazmin Brits was equally dominant, steering her team to a 2-1 series victory with a pair of magnificent hundreds. The powerful right-hander scored 272 runs in two innings at a strike rate of 103.81, including back-to-back unbeaten knocks of 101 and 171, earning her the Player of the Series award.
