By Estea Rademeyer, Sports Journalist.
Photo Credit: CSA.
South African all-rounder Marco Jansen has been named the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for October after a series of outstanding performances against Australia, while India’s Deepti Sharma has claimed the women’s award for the second time.
Jansen’s impressive contributions with bat and ball during South Africa’s ICC World Test Championship series against Australia earned him the recognition, capping a memorable month in which he also climbed to the top of two ICC Test rankings categories.
The 26-year-old scored 198 runs and claimed 13 wickets with his left-arm pace bowling during the assessment period. His standout performance came in the second Test against Australia in Gqeberha, where he scored a crucial 85 before returning match figures of five for 33 and one for 34.
Those performances helped propel Jansen to the top of both the ICC Men’s Test Bowling and All-rounder Rankings.
He became the first South African bowler to occupy the No. 1 position since Kagiso Rabada in 2024, while his rise to the top of the all-rounders’ rankings marked the first time a South African had held that position since Vernon Philander in August 2014.
Jansen secured the award ahead of Pakistan’s Arafat Minhas and West Indies captain Shai Hope, who were also shortlisted following impressive performances during October.
Speaking after receiving the award, Jansen described the recognition as a special achievement following a memorable series against Australia.
“Winning the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award is a great honour for me, particularly after such a competitive series against Australia. It was one of the most memorable series of my career, and being able to contribute to the team’s success made it even more special. To receive this recognition as well is something I’m incredibly proud of,” he said.
He credited his teammates and support staff for their contribution, adding that South Africa’s focus remained on maintaining their momentum as they pursue a place in next year’s ICC World Test Championship Final.
India all-rounder Deepti Sharma was named the ICC Women’s Player of the Month after producing a series of influential performances during India’s home series against Zimbabwe.
Sharma played a key role in India’s white-ball dominance, helping the side complete a 3-0 sweep in the ICC Women’s Championship ODI series.
She scored an unbeaten 106 in her only batting opportunity in the ODI series and claimed five wickets at an economy rate of 3.42.
Her contributions continued in the T20I series, where she scored 49 off 37 deliveries and took two wickets with her off-spin bowling.
The award marks Sharma’s second ICC Women’s Player of the Month honour, having previously won the recognition in December 2023.
She was selected ahead of Bangladesh’s Sobhana Mostary and Australia’s Annabel Sutherland.
Sharma said she was particularly pleased with the team’s overall performance and the contribution of its younger players during the Zimbabwe series.
“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,” she said.
She also thanked the voting panel, supporters, teammates and coaches for their continued backing, dedicating the award to her fans around the world.
Both players were selected through a voting process involving registered cricket fans from around the world and a specialist panel comprising former international players and media representatives.
The ICC Player of the Month awards recognise outstanding performances across all formats of international cricket, with fans able to vote for their preferred players each month.
Fans can continue to vote every month for their favourite cricketers across all formats of international cricket in the ICC Player of the Month awards by registering at www.icc-cricket.com/awards.