Shubman Gill becomes ICC Men’s Player of the Month for July

NEW DELHI: India Test captain Shubman Gill has landed the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for July 2025 following his heroics against England in a thrilling Test series, after facing stiff competition from England Test skipper Ben Stokes and South African all-rounder Wiaan Mulder, as per the official website of ICC.

The 25-year-old enjoyed a remarkable month in July, piling up 567 runs at an outstanding average of 94.50 across three Tests, smashing a double hundred and two hundreds in six outings. It was Gill’s first tour as India’s Test captain and the 25-year-old said it was a nice honour to be recognised.

“It feels great to be named the ICC Player of the Month for July,” Gill said. “This time it holds a lot more significance since it has come for my performances during my first Test series as captain. “The double ton in Birmingham is obviously something I will cherish forever and will be one of the highlights of my tour to England.

A prolific run with the bat in England has lifted India Test captain Shubman Gill to July ICC Men’s Player of the Month honours https://t.co/lRJ5C68kLt

— ICC (@ICC) August 13, 2025

“The Test series against England was a learning experience for me as captain and we had some outstanding performances from both sides, which I am sure players from both sides will remember for a long time. I would like to thank the jury for selecting me for this award and my teammates who have been with me during the course of this exciting series. I look forward to continuing my form in the season ahead and bringing more laurels for the country”, he said

This is Gill’s fourth Player of the Month honour from the ICC, having won previously in February this year, and in January and September 2023. Gill is the first men’s player to have won the monthly award on four occasions, with Australia’s Ash Gardner and West Indies captain Hayley Matthews the only female players to have done so.

The right-hand batter was the standout performer in India’s historic victory at Edgbaston, smashing a colossal 269 in the first innings after walking in at 95/2, and went on to add another 161 in the second innings to set up a mammoth 336-run win. His combined 430 runs in the match ranks as the second-highest aggregate in Test history, behind only Graham Gooch’s 456.

He became the first Indian captain to score a Test double century on English soil, also registering only the second Test double hundred by an Indian skipper outside India, after Virat Kohli’s effort against the West Indies in 2016. He surpassed Sunil Gavaskar’s 221 from 1979 to claim the record for the highest Test score by an Indian batter in England.

Gill overtook Sachin Tendulkar’s 21-year-old mark of 241 to set the record for the highest overseas score by an Indian batter outside India and other Asian nations. Despite recording just 16 and 6 in the Lord’s Test, Gill picked up on his rich vein of form at Old Trafford, where his composed second-innings of 103 secured a vital draw, paving the way for India’s eventual 2-2 series result.

Gill’s second-innings effort at Old Trafford came on the back of India finding themselves in a precarious position, having lost two wickets in the very first over for no score, in pursuit of 311 to avoid an innings defeat. Batting at No.4, he seamlessly blended stability with flair, while also leading the side with distinction in his maiden series as captain to currently sit in third spot on the standings in the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle.

His ability to turn convincing starts into match-defining totals, especially when early wickets fell, proved crucial in sparking multiple Indian fightbacks and was vital in the series eventually concluding on equal terms. Furthermore, Gill concluded the five-Test series with 754 runs across 10 outings at a phenomenal average of 75.40 that also landed him the Player of the Series award. His marathon 754 in the series was the second highest ever in a WTC tournament. (ANI)