I will cherish double century in Birmingham forever: Gill after winning ICC award

Dubai: The epic double hundred in a winning cause at Edgbaston will forever be etched in the memory of Indian skipper Shubman Gill, who was on Tuesday named ICC's 'Player Of The Month' for scoring 754 runs in the recently-concluded five-Test series against England.

Gill, who was inspirational both as a batter and skipper, led from the front with four hundreds as a young Indian team without Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma drew 2-2 against England. The Indian skipper, who won the award ahead of his England counterpart Ben Stokes and South Africa all-rounder Wiaan Mulder, said he was hoping to continue his good form in the season ahead.

"It feels great to be named the ICC Player of the Month for July. 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," Gill was quoted as saying in an ICC media release.

"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.” The 25-year-old skipper is hopeful that he can continue his good form in the upcoming series.

"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 bring more laurels for the country." Gill became the first male player to win the 'Player of the Month' award four times after a stupendous run in England saw him score 567 runs (out of 754 runs) at an average of 94.50 in the three Tests played in July.

His previous ICC Player of the Month awards were in January 2023, September 2023 and February 2025.

The highlight for Gill during this period was his aggregate of 430 runs in the second Test in Birmingham, the second highest ever in a Test match.

His scores of 269 and 161 in that Test helped India level the series 1-1. He also chipped in with a useful 103 in the second innings of the fourth Test in Manchester that helped draw the match and keep the series alive.

Apart from Gill, England batter Sophia Dunkley was adjudged women’s 'Players of the Month'.

England batter Dunkley edged her team-mate Sophie Ecclestone and Ireland captain Gaby Lewis for the honour, showing a fine run during this period in ODIs as well as T20Is.

She played in all seven matches at home against India across the two formats, aggregating 270 runs in three ODIs and four T20Is.

Dunkley was England’s leading scorer in the T20I series and smashed a superb 92-ball 83 in the first ODI in Southampton.