Deepti Sharma Named ICC Women’s Player of the Month for October 2026
Deepti Sharma has spent much of her career doing the hard yards in the shadows. October dragged her firmly back under the spotlight.
The India all-rounder has been named ICC Women’s Player of the Month for October 2026, the second time she has claimed the award, after a commanding white-ball series against Zimbabwe at home. She edged Bangladesh’s Sobhana Mostary and Australia’s Annabel Sutherland to the honour, powered by a month that underlined why India trust her in every situation.
Across three T20Is and three ODIs, Deepti stacked up 155 runs and seven wickets in six international outings, as India went unbeaten against Zimbabwe. The numbers tell one story. The manner of them tells another.
“I’m pleased to win the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award,” she said, reflecting on a campaign that showcased both her authority and her resilience. “The series against Zimbabwe was a great one for us, and I’m proud of the way the team performed, especially the youngsters. Scoring a century was a particularly special moment for me, made even more meaningful as it contributed to a winning cause.”
A second monthly crown
This is not new territory for Deepti. She first lifted the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award in December 2023, on the back of standout displays against England and Australia. Nearly three years on, she has added a second to her collection, this time as one of the senior pillars of a side in transition.
The recognition feels like a bookmark in a career that has steadily grown in influence. Back then, she was breaking through elite opposition. Now, she is setting the standard for those coming through behind her.
“I would like to thank the voting panel and fans for this recognition, as well as my teammates and coaches for their continued support,” she added. “I would like to dedicate this award to my fans across the world.”
Rescue act in Raipur
Her October surge began in the T20I series. In the opening match in Raipur, India were reeling at 19 for 4, the kind of scoreline that drains noise from a ground. Deepti walked in and changed the mood.
She counter-attacked with a brisk 49 from 37 balls, an innings that blended calm with intent. The recovery she engineered turned a crisis into a platform and set up a victory that settled India early in the series. With the ball, she chipped in with two wickets across the three T20Is, helping India complete a 3-0 sweep that never really felt in doubt once they found their stride.
The pressure had knocked on India’s door. Deepti answered.
Century in Vadodara
The ODI leg only deepened her imprint on the series. She began with two wickets in the opening match, keeping Zimbabwe pinned as India asserted control. Then came Vadodara, and the performance that defined her month.
Batting at No. 6, Deepti produced an unbeaten 106 from just 86 deliveries, peppering the field with 15 boundaries. It was not a scratchy hundred built on survival; it was a commanding one, laced with authority and tempo. She shifted gears when needed, marshalled the lower order, and turned a solid total into a daunting one.
It was her second ODI century and her first in the format since that monumental 188 against Ireland in May 2017. Nearly a decade separates those two innings, but the thread is clear: give her responsibility, and she responds.
Her work with the ball in Vadodara completed the demolition. Figures of 3 for 32 capped a complete all-round display as India stormed to a 121-run win to seal the series. One player, two roles, total control.
The heartbeat of India’s month
By the end of October, Deepti stood among the standout performers in women’s international cricket. Her 155 runs and seven wickets were not padded by dead overs or soft runs; they came in moments that shaped games and, at times, salvaged them.
This second ICC monthly award does more than decorate her CV. It reinforces her status as one of India’s most dependable cricketers, a player who can steady a collapse, accelerate a chase, or tighten the screws with the ball when a match drifts.
India’s youngsters will look at this month as a reference point. The ICC has marked it with a trophy. The scorecards have marked it with a century and crucial spells.
The question now is not whether Deepti Sharma can deliver on the big days. It is how often she will drag India’s biggest days towards her.
