Deepti Sharma shortlisted for ICC Women's Player of the Month for October

India all-rounder Deepti Sharma has been shortlisted for the ICC Women's Player of the Month award for October 2026, the International Cricket Council announced on Thursday, 5 November 2026. She is up against Australia's Annabel Sutherland and Bangladesh's Sobhana Mostary. Deepti earned her place with an unbeaten century and seven wickets across India's 3-0 ODI and 3-0 T20I series wins over Zimbabwe at home. The winner will be chosen by a vote of the ICC Voting Academy and fans.

The ICC Player of the Month awards are given every month to one man and one woman, based on their performances in international cricket in the previous month. The shortlist goes to a vote by the independent ICC Voting Academy and by fans on the ICC's platform, and winners are announced in the second week of the following month. It is a regular global honour for women cricketers, and it keeps players from smaller series in the spotlight.

For India, a nomination for Deepti right after Shafali Verma's win for September would mean back-to-back months with an Indian player at the top if she wins. It also shows that India's women are being recognised for series against smaller teams such as Zimbabwe, where wins are expected but individual performances still count. An unbeaten century in her only innings and economical bowling across six matches is the kind of all-round month that suits this award, which tends to reward players who contribute with both bat and ball.

The other two nominees bring different stories. Mostary's 118 against Australia in Brisbane was a record for Bangladesh women in one-day internationals, scored against the home side Australia, even though her team lost the series. Sutherland played across two formats in October. That means Deepti faces one rival with a record innings and another who contributed in two series.

Deepti's form has carried on at home. Playing for Uttar Pradesh in the Senior Women's T20 Trophy on 6 November, she scored an unbeaten half-century and took a wicket in a 10-wicket win over Uttarakhand, according to reports.

Peepals calculation: Deepti made 155 runs in her two innings of the month (106 + 49) and took seven wickets (5 + 2) across six matches. Mostary's 118 in Brisbane made up about 91% of her 129 series runs (118 ÷ 129), showing how much of her month rested on one record innings. Our calculation from the reported figures.

Short-term: Fans can vote on the ICC's platform, and the result is expected in the second week of November. A win would give India the women's award for a second month in a row.

Long-term: Regular recognition for players such as Deepti and Mostary helps raise the profile of women's cricket in South Asia and beyond. It also adds weight to bilateral series against smaller nations, which give younger players time in international cricket.

Who is affected: Deepti Sharma and the India women's team; Bangladesh and Australia women's teams; fans who vote for the award; and selectors and franchise teams who follow players' form.

What to watch next: The ICC normally names the winners in the second week of the following month, so the October winners are due in the second week of November 2026.

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