Deepti Sharma wins second ICC Player of the Month award after Zimbabwe series

India all-rounder Deepti Sharma has been named the ICC Women's Player of the Month for October 2026, earning the honour for the second time in her career after an impressive all-round performance in India's home series against Zimbabwe.

She beat Bangladesh's Sobhana Mostary and Australia's Annabel Sutherland to claim the award.

The 29-year-old played a key role in India's dominant performances against Zimbabwe, contributing with both bat and ball as the hosts remained unbeaten across all six international matches in the T20I and ODI series.

Series performances

Deepti began the tour with a quickfire 49 in the first T20I in Raipur, helping India recover after being reduced to 19/4 and setting up a victory. She also picked up two wickets during the T20I series as India completed a clean sweep.

The all-rounder carried her form into the ODI series, claiming two wickets in the opening match before producing a standout performance in the second ODI.

She scored her second ODI century and added three wickets to her tally, helping India take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.

Statistics and award details

Across the two formats, Deepti accumulated 155 runs and claimed seven wickets, playing a significant role in India's unbeaten campaign against Zimbabwe. 42 as India completed a 3-0 series sweep.

Her achievements also included the T20I series, where she batted once to score 49 runs off 37 balls and took two wickets with her off-spin bowling. This is Sharma's second ICC Women's Player of the Month award.

She was chosen ahead of Bangladesh's Sobhana Mostary and Australia's Annabel Sutherland, who were finalists on the women's shortlist.

Player reaction

Reacting to the award, Deepti expressed happiness over the recognition and credited her teammates and support staff for their contribution to the team's success. "I'm pleased to win the ICC Women's Player of the Month award.

The series against Zimbabwe was a great one for us, and I'm proud of the way the team performed, especially the youngsters," Deepti said.

"Scoring a century was a particularly special moment for me, made even more meaningful as it contributed to a winning cause," she added. She also thanked the voting panel and fans for recognising her performances and dedicated the award to her supporters across the world.

"I would like to thank the voting panel and fans for this recognition, as well as my teammates and coaches for their continued support. I would like to dedicate this award to my fans across the world," she said.

Context and what happens next

The award comes a year after Deepti played a crucial role in India's ICC Women's Cricket World Cup triumph in October 2025, making the month particularly memorable in her international career. She previously won the ICC Women's Player of the Month award in December 2023. India completed a 3-0 sweep in the ICC Women's Championship ODI series and also won the T20I series, remaining unbeaten across all six international matches.

Deepti Sharma’s October 2026 performances against Zimbabwe

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Sources

• India Today

• icc-cricket.com